


last hurrah

by SilverMoonT



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Fake/Pretend Relationship, Gen, Happy Ending, M/M, Modern Royalty, Mutual Pining, second gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-05
Updated: 2021-01-05
Packaged: 2021-03-16 02:28:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 27,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28574529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverMoonT/pseuds/SilverMoonT
Summary: As the future leaders of the countries that make up a world guided by secrets and resources, Yahaba, Futakuchi, Ennoshita, Shirabu and Terushima seek to turn the concept of friendship into a familiar strategy.
Relationships: Ennoshita Chikara & Futakuchi Kenji & Yahaba Shigeru & Shirabu Kenjirou & Terushima Yuuji, Ennoshita Chikara/Futakuchi Kenji, Kyoutani Kentarou/Yahaba Shigeru
Comments: 13
Kudos: 32





	last hurrah

**Author's Note:**

> the translations are at the end, thank you Andra and Fede for helping me with them <3
> 
> implied: semishira

Yahaba rolls his eyes but promptly replaces his annoyed expression with a smile free of imperfections. Smile, listen, and nod. One action after another. This is how he should act, how he must act, pretending that his life lacks the concept of mistakes and therefore lost opportunities, as the crowns on his head change depending on the occasion, but his name never will.

Unless it’s his birthday and a gift is implied, being called by his parents never implies a pleasant chain of actions. But that day is not his birthday even if the weather is cold and a cream-colored wool sweater embraces his torso, and for the same reason he keeps his hands behind his back. As always, his phone present between his fingers. Perhaps he smiles, listens, and nods, but releasing his true feelings is not impossible.

His phone vibrates once.

Maybe it's Terushima sending a picture.

He can’t hear his younger brother running down the hall and neither his older brother expressing, rather exclaiming, not to run, so his parents probably only requested his name.

His phone vibrates a second time, and he lets out a sigh.

Maybe it's Shirabu responding to said picture, in a bad way.

He doesn’t recall behaving in a bad way or saying or doing something in public for which his parents might require his presence. In addition, his social media accounts have certainly begun to be controlled by one of the agents hired by his parents, so being called can’t be due to the fact that perhaps he has posted something that he should have not.

He doesn’t understand. Or rather, he thinks it’s an irony.

Love is what their parents desire though they decide to set limits between their family and the people under their guidance. Yahaba wants people to understand that despite being a prince, he also smiles, cries, and gets angry. He is human even if his parents seek for his image to be perfect without saying a word.

If the problems are not public, then they don’t exist. It’s a rule.

Yahaba rolls his eyes. Pathetic.

His phone vibrates again.

Maybe it's Ennoshita telling Shirabu not to be mean to Terushima.

But Ennoshita usually ignores the conversation when that happens because he is tired of scolding Shirabu, so he finally stops in the hall and unlocks his phone. He arches an eyebrow after the name of Futakuchi and not the groupchat that everyone shares is the one to appear, but he opens the conversation anyway.

**Futakuchi**

_Hey_

_Are you there?_

_Answer me_

Yahaba tilts his head.

**Me**

_What is it?_

Maybe he wants to meet with him considering that now they are all together since Futakuchi's parents have chosen to organize a gala and invite them to their country. To show what a well-guided country can achieve, Yahaba thinks, but doesn’t say.

**Futakuchi**

_[Link Attached]_

Yahaba raises an eyebrow but opens the link.

He thinks that it must surely be one of those links that ends up being a joke because sometimes Futakuchi is a joke himself, but his brow furrows and his face is characterized by an expression of confusion when what he turns out to see is not the result of a prank, but a photo of him alongside a photo of Futakuchi.

_'Futakuchi Kenji and Yahaba Shigeru, this Christmas' unexpected gift?'_

Quickly, Yahaba's eyes scan phrases, words, letter by letter.

His brain registers the information and it takes him a second to stop before he finishes reading the article. He has already read enough paragraphs to know that he wants to escape from there at that precise moment.

He locks his phone and his hands are about to form into fists but he stops and looks around. Without thinking about it, or rather, thinking about it too much, he changes direction since his intention is no longer to meet up with his parents (though it never was), now understanding why they had only called him, and hurries his step after remembering where one of the exits of the residence that Futakuchi's parents had offered them to be at Dateko, is.

He moves through the halls, the perfection of his smile already absent.

He manages to exit through one of the doors once he finds it, and a part of him calms down when he finds three available limousines once he leaves the residence.

He's accustomed, used to it. People rest their attention as well as their eyes on him when he appears, perhaps because they know who he is and therefore what he represents, or perhaps because most of the time he’s wearing a suit —not on that occasion—, and his silver hair is never characterized by messy locks. No matter the reason, at that moment he takes advantage of that taken for granted interest once the driver of the closest limousine to him rolls down the window when he sees him.

"I need to be out." Smoke generated by his own body encounters a cold environment.

"Prin—"

"Out." It’s the only word he repeats before getting into the limousine.

He is not carrying a crown with him or any insignia that distinguishes him, but his words are followed without hesitation as the car is started. He allows himself to breathe a sigh once the back doors open and he finally leaves the residence, with no direction or defined path, exactly the opposite of what his parents have apparently accepted without consulting him.

He doesn’t see himself as a person who seeks to escape his problems. He tends to face people, with his chest up and his chin high when he has no choice but to raise his voice and decorate it with seriousness, but many other times he feels that escaping is the only thing he can, and wants to, do.

His phone vibrates in his hand, and without taking his eyes off the snowy streets, he brings it to his ear.

"Hello dear sudden husband, I do not wish to speak right now."

He is aware that Futakuchi is in the same situation since he was the one to talk to him first, and he thinks that in case Futakuchi’s parents had spoken with him, Futakuchi would have given him more time instead of simply sending him a link. He had seen both his name and Futakuchi's, but escaping means escaping no matter who it is.

"I think I'm okay with you still calling me Kyoutani."

The voice he hears is certainly not Futakuchi's, so he pulls his phone away from his ear to understand that the one who has called him is Kyoutani, not Futakuchi. He inhales, and brings the phone back near his ear.

Maybe it does matter who is on the other end of the line, since instead of cutting off the call, he says, "I'm sorry."

A few seconds pass before Kyoutani speaks again.

"You are everywhere."

Yahaba bites his lower lip.

Kyoutani's words are a reminder of the fact that no matter how quickly he may leave, the news travel with the same speed. He likes his name being the topic of conversation when his clothes are the most fashionable or when his face is praised, not when his future is associated with another name that he knows too well just because his parents speak without listening, or maybe listening, but not caring.

"Right now I'm in a car."

"What?"

"I haven't talked to my parents as they chose to inform everyone but me about what they apparently have decided without even consulting me. Futakuchi sent me a link so I left."

Said out loud, his chain of decisions doesn't sound like a smart plan.

But staying still sounds like the worst of ideas.

"I don't know, I didn't want to stay there after reading that my parents have decided to promise me to one of my best friends when it’s clear that we only consider ourselves best friends." He adds.

Money, cars, clothes. When he believes that he is certainly lucky because he counts with opportunities that most people can only dream of on the longest, darkest nights, his parents and their decisions appear to remind him that he’s not, and that a life of luxury also implies a day to day full of obstacles in a race towards happiness.

"You can come here."

Yahaba arches an eyebrow. Then he frowns, and finally gets confused.

"What?"

"You can come here." Kyoutani repeats.

Yahaba bites his lower lip. "Really?

"No, I'm kidding." Exasperation seizes Kyoutani's words. "Yes, you can. They won't come for you here, will they?"

He is right. "Okay, I'll go."

Kyoutani ends the call and Yahaba searches Kyoutani’s residence location to send it to the limousine system at the same time that he taps the button that connects him with the driver.

"To the residence assigned to the Kyoutani family."

"Sorry?"

Yahaba decorates his face with a fake smile even is no one is watching. Habit.

"You heard me. Kyoutani’s residence. Now."

He knows that he is neither the kindest person nor the most pleasant person no matter what people think of him, as he is completely sure that people will always end up looking at him in a certain way, from the outside.

Just like his parents.

If his parents have decided to promise him to Futakuchi, then he will decide to make it clear that he will spend his time with Kyoutani, a person with whom he should not even have any communication considering that Kyoutani and his family being in Dateko after getting an invitation just like his family, means that his parents are no longer the only ones to control the entire territory of Aoba Johsai.

He opts to mute his phone and leave it next to him, and adjusts the sleeves of his sweater to cover his hands. They are close to zero degrees and he has prioritized leaving instead of taking a coat with him.

Perhaps it’s true that he can’t escape, but it’s not impossible either.

* * *

Futakuchi lets out the ghost of a laugh when he sees that instead of getting angry, Yahaba leaves him on read. With that simple detail he decides to think that just like his parents, Yahaba's parents have not warned him about the decision and simply planned to comment on it, as if their lives were nothing but a strategy. Their countries resemble a chess board and they are the pieces moved by someone else.

He rests his head against the edge of his bed and rolls his eyes.

The reality is that for their parents, their lives are tactics.

He lowers his head to look at his phone and change the conversation, but instead of sending a text as he usually does, quickly and without thinking much, he narrows his eyes and forms a line with his lips.

He's angry, but he's sure his parents will ignore him if he wants to complain right then and there, so leaving his room is pointless. He thinks they have done too much damage already, so he finally decides to send a text.

**Me**

_Are you there?_

A second passes, then another, and another.

**Chikara**

_Always_

Futakuchi isn't surprised when just one word is the cause of his smile.

**Me**

_Have you seen the news?_

He writes that question just because.

Because even if he doesn’t want to see the news, the news find him.

**Chikara**

_I did_

_How are you?_

Futakuchi snorts.

**Me**

_I'm not surprised_

_They never talk to me_

_Now I’m more than sure that they organized this gala with this in mind_

_Sorry I'm just rambling_

He doesn’t know what is worse, what would have been worse.

His parents don’t talk to him but he is not surprised either. He knows that they are capable of making bad decisions when his name is in the middle. But having heard his parents mention the decision to him wouldn’t have been a good situation either.

In spite of everything, he is glad that his sister is not the one who has to deal with those kinds of situations just because she is younger than him, although clearly, Yahaba shows that regardless of his position and his year of birth, their parents will always find a way to assure them that freedom is not a concept with which they can be associated.

**Chikara**

_Well, what they did is horrible so_

_[Image Attached]_

_He sends you a hug_

A smile replaces his seriousness the moment he opens the picture of Ennoshita's younger brother smiling at the camera.

**Me**

_Pffft_

_Tell your brother that I send him a hug_

**Chikara**

_Only him._

**Me**

_Well you said he not we_

**Chikara**

_Fine_

_[Image Attached]_

_We send you a hug_

Futakuchi looks at the screen of his phone with a smile when it’s clear that to take the photo, Ennoshita has changed the angle since now not only his brother appears, but also Ennoshita himself with his brother looking at him.

With one of the corners of his mouth raised, he chooses to take a picture winking and sends it.

**Me**

_[Image Attached]_

_I also send you a hug_

_Thank you_

_Can I call you later?_

**Chikara**

_You can call me now_

Soon Futakuchi finds himself holding his phone to his ear.

* * *

Yahaba lets himself fall flat on the bed.

"Just end me." His voice is muffled with the pillows. "Your family wants to end me, right? Just do it, I literally went out without a bodyguard, and a coat." He adds, realizing that going out without his bodyguard wasn't a great decision. Not because he is in Kyoutani's residence, but because he is always in danger.

He supposes that Kyoutani sits next to him because he feels the mattress sink, and turns his head to him when Kyoutani places a blanket over him, probably trying to repair the cold that going out without a coat had caused him.

"My family doesn't want to end you."

"My family does want to end me, apparently."

Yahaba snorts against the pillows and mutters, already tired.

"I have macaroons if you want, I know you like them."

"I can't eat when I'm stressed," He assures him, but soon forms a line with his lips and rests the palms of his hands on the mattress at the thought of richly flavored, colorful macaroons. "Who am I kidding?" He says, helping himself to sit up with his hands, the blanket over his shoulders. "If I couldn't eat when I'm stressed I couldn't even be here because my parents seem to think that one of their jobs is to stress me out all day, seven days a week, twenty four hours a day." He sits down after letting out a sigh and one of the corners of his mouth pops up when he sees Kyoutani offering him a small box of macaroons.

He decides to have one and is sure he has made a good decision after choosing to follow Kyoutani’s words and being there, as the strawberry flavor gets his seriousness to be replaced with a satisfied smile.

"It's super, thank you."

Kyoutani lets out a soft chuckle at the sight of him, but then becomes serious when he asks, "How are you?"

Soon Yahaba is serious again. "How do you want me to be, Kyoutani?" He asks, exasperated, knowing that Kyoutani has only asked him that question without ulterior motives. "I have a fiancé from one moment to the next." He adds, not being able to believe the pronunciation of those words.

"I'm sorry, it wasn't a smart question."

"No, it’s fine. Thanks for asking." Yahaba assures him, since the least he wants is for Kyoutani to feel guilty for asking a well-intentioned question. "And thank you for offering me to come."

Kyoutani shrugs, and looks around them.

"It’s fine, like I told you, I know they won't come here."

Yahaba looks at him before taking another bite of his macaroon.

He believes that Kyoutani is right for many reasons.

No matter how desperate they are to contact him or search for him (if they are), the truth is that his parents won’t come near the Kyoutani residence considering the history between the two families. They shouldn't be friends, they shouldn't have their respective phone numbers, and they shouldn't even look at each other.

Yahaba knows that he should not consider Kyoutani handsome, but quite the opposite, as well as not think of the definition of his facial features as a distraction, though he promptly looks down at his macaroon when Kyoutani looks at him and he hopes his cheeks don’t match the pink color of the macaroon.

All countries are represented by one family, but that’s not the case of Aoba Johsai.

For several years his family has made sure to hold the power in one way or another, to rule and to guide under the same instructions, but it was enough for his parents to underestimate Kyoutani's older sister for now the country to be characterized by a political division. People still support his family, unconditionally and faithfully, (blindly too, Yahaba thinks), but people have also been attracted with the ideas and plans proposed by Kyoutani's family, his older sister in charge of the speech.

With her firmness and solidity, she has managed to keep Aoba Johsai divided, enough that even Futakuchi's parents have decided to invite both families to the gala they have organized, but still without her influence being fully recognized as Yahaba is the one to suddenly find himself in the middle of a marriage that he doesn’t want to be part of. His family has prestige, Kyoutani’s family represents innovation.

If sometimes he believes that he can't get along with Kyoutani as incompatibility is that between the two, it's not because of boundaries, power, and a fight of surnames and political views, but because they're both equally stubborn and obstinate. They face each other with the same intensity and refuse to back down.

"Does it bother you if I post a picture on instagram?" Yahaba asks him. "My parents will definitely mind." Kyoutani waving his hand is enough of an answer.

Yahaba chooses to leave the box open on the bluish color of the covers as well as his almost finished macaroon inside the box. He doesn't pay attention to the confused look Kyoutani gives him and promptly takes the picture to then hold the macaroon again as he edits the picture.

"I'm mad, you know," He tells him, hoping that his social media agent is too busy searching for him not to pay attention to his social media. "I don't even feel like I can be sad, just angry." He tags Kyoutani, knowing that he only does it to make it clear, to declare, that he is with him since Kyoutani only has a profile because he forced him to create it and he doesn't even use it. "They do these things and then wonder why I'm hardly ever home."

He sees his picture upload, and believes that a small won battle can be associated with his name when the picture is posted.

"Why Futakuchi?" Kyoutani asks him, and again puts his phone aside.

"I don’t know. Dateko has been gaining power and renown for a while now, you already know that, and well, now that my parents are no longer fully reigning because your sister has started gaining support, perhaps they have thought that ruining my life was the best option and the only way out. Maybe inviting both families was the final move. Dateko proves they have power, and my family doesn’t."

Kyoutani frowns, seeming to be troubled.

"I'm sorry, it has never been my intention or that of my family for the consequences of our actions to affect you."

Yahaba wants to rest his hand on his arm to assure him that his family is not the reason for the fate of his life, but he chooses to take another macaroon, for although he knows that he has the luxury of knowing the differences between gemstones, he can’t afford to leave his hand on Kyoutani's arm. He wants to laugh, thinking how free of value objects end up becoming when wanting to touch is the only wish.

"Don't apologize, it's not your fault."

"What will you do now?"

"I don't know," Yahaba says after taking a bite. "I really don't know." Being used to his parents’ way of acting doesn't imply that he knows what to do in the face of its consequences. "I want to talk to Futakuchi, but after all, we are only heirs, how much can we deal with kings and queens? I have no excuses, I don't know, they just saw us together and thought, yes, an ideal couple."

"So you say this wouldn't have happened if you had a partner?"

"I honestly don't know. Perhaps they would have sought to speak to me earlier."

Kyoutani gives him a look that Yahaba doesn’t notice after watching the macaroon to give it another bite.

Yahaba believes that there would have been no difference because his parents would surely have found a way to get rid of anyone who had found themselves in the middle. He knows his parents, they are his family. Tragic, Yahaba thinks.

"What if you were dating someone already?"

"Kyoutani, my schedule is one task after another." He reminds him, as if Kyoutani himself didn't have busy days too. "I can't remember the last time I had free time unless I did it myself, and just to see my friends, not to go outside and meet someone. I don't even want to do it because I don't trust outsiders." He's a prince, and as such, he must fulfill duties and assistance. "Who on earth do you want me to date?"

"Me."

Yahaba coughs as he chokes on the macaroon, and blinks. One, twice, and again.

He stares at him, both eyebrows raised. Stunned. "What?"

Kyoutani shrugs, acting as if he had mentioned nothing more than a simple detail, the pink color of the macaroon still between his fingers, the blue color of the blanket over his shoulders.

"I'm not an outsider, am I?"

"I know, but..." Yahaba tilts his head. "What are you saying?"

"What? Would it bother you so much if others thought you were dating me?"

Yahaba doesn’t hesitate to roll his eyes when he hears the tone of voice with which he pronounces those words as well as when he sees the beginning of irritation decorating his facial features. "No. It's just, that, why?"

"Well, if you marry Futakuchi, Dateko itself, my sister loses."

"Of course you only want me for my part of the country." If hearing Kyoutani mention those words gets the sweet taste of the strawberry on his palate to disappear, he doesn't mention it. After all, Kyoutani is right, and although Yahaba keeps forgetting, again and again, he finds himself in the middle of a sea of strategies.

He believes that his parents seeking his commitment to another of the heirs in order to face Kyoutani's sister is a possibility. It makes sense, and besides, his parents could use the fact that he and Futakuchi already know each other to justify the union. Dateko and Aoba Johsai win and Kyoutani’s family loses, along with Yahaba and Futakuchi.

"Do you think Futakuchi's parents want you because you're pretty?"

"You think I'm pretty?"

He doesn't want to wonder if for Kyoutani he is nothing more than a strategy.

"I think you're pretty annoying."

"But apparently you need me as an ally."

"Unfortunately."

Yahaba narrows his eyes to cast a look at him but then takes another macaroon to focus on it while he thinks. It’s evident that dating Kyoutani would have its advantages not only because it implies spending more time with Kyoutani, but also because he knows that it’s something that his parents wouldn’t like, and it would force them to review their decision to commit him to Futakuchi. But he knows he has to be careful as his person may be a strategy, but not his feelings.

"Do you really want to?" He asks him. "What would we do?"

"Well, pretend we're together, that we have been, for a long time."

"That would make my parents angry, a lot, they despise you." He has already mentioned that that is the truth. "Sorry." He adds, quickly, realizing his words.

"It's okay."

"Then we pretend we are together, you and your family keep your part of the country, and I don’t get married."

"Exactly."

Yahaba lifts one corner of his mouth after finishing the macaroon. Kyoutani casts him a suspicious look as he chooses to sit on his knees in front of him, not caring if the blanket slides down his back. "Kyoutani, if you want to go out with me so much, just tell me." He mentions, being aware that a part of him is accepting the new and sudden agreement that they are creating between the two, not only because his parents hating Kyoutani is the only reason why he talks to him.

"All I want is to keep Aoba Johsai out of Dateko's hands."

"I am Aoba Johsai." Yahaba reminds him.

"Then take it as it is. I want to keep you out of Dateko’s hands." Yahaba gives himself the permission to smile after listening to him. "And for the record, you are not Aoba Johsai." They always meet each other with the same conditions, so Kyoutani approaches him and Yahaba forces himself to hold his gaze instead of lowering his eyes to his lips that without hesitation express, "We are Aoba Johsai."

Yahaba doesn’t complain. If he has to be honest, he thinks that golden pupils surrounded by black lines are one of the best views he has ever seen no matter how many countries he has visited, the list of known landscapes remaining unimportant.

"So we have a deal?"

Kyoutani narrows his gaze and offers his hand. "We have a deal."

Yahaba accepts his hand and smiles, amused. "Awesome, _love_."

Suddenly the centimeters between them are scarce as Kyoutani takes advantage of holding his hand to make their faces come closer, though not to eliminate distance, but to establish, "Don't ever call me like that again."

Yahaba laughs and Kyoutani releases his hand.

"Has this been your plan all this time?" Yahaba asks him and then takes another macaroon. "Convincing me with macaroons?"

"Right now, you are my plan."

"Same here." Yahaba lifts his macaroon towards him as if toasting.

"As a show of good faith, one of my bodyguards will take you to your residence once you leave because you have forgotten yours."

It's Kyoutani's turn to give him a smile and Yahaba makes a face before opting to flop down onto the pillows, this time with his back on the mattress. "Damn it, I was hoping you wouldn’t notice."

"I don't want you dead. Besides, you literally told me you didn't bring a bodyguard with you."

"How romantic."

"Well, we're a couple now, aren't we?"

Yahaba looks at him and rolls his eyes because Kyoutani is still smiling.

"Oh, shut up."

"How is it said? Make me?"

On that occasion, Yahaba opts to throw a pillow at him instead of responding, and they both laugh.

His heartbeat assures him that he just keeps getting in trouble.

* * *

_[Royal Party]_

**Terushima**

_good morning to the new couple!_

**Shirabu**

_Good morning to me and Ennoshita._

**Ennoshita**

_Thank you_

Yahaba rolls his eyes but laughs when he sees his phone.

**Me**

_@Futakuchi let's get married just to be more powerful than them_

**Futakuchi**

_Let's goooooooooooooo_

**Terushima**

_go where, dateko is literally where we are_

**Shirabu**

_Ugh._

_You guys are a bad combination._

**Me**

_Well apparently our parents don't think that_

**Terushima**

_ouch_

**Shirabu**

_I was talking about Futakuchi and Terushima, but ok_

_As always, you have to be the center of attention_

_Speaking of, have you already planned what to do?_

**Futakuchi**

_Amazing how you insult him and show concern for him at the same time_

_We haven't even talked with each other yet_

**Me**

_I have to talk to my parents first, I already know how to fix this_

**Shirabu**

_I'm scared._

**Terushima**

_i have one (1) fear_

**Shirabu**

_?_

**Futakuchi**

_Really?_

**Me**

_Trust me_

**Futakuchi**

_..._

**Me**

_HEY._

**Terushima**

_Ennoshita went back to sleep?_

**Shirabu**

_Surely. He's tired of you already. Now my good morning text has been in vain._

**Terushima**

_you can give it to me_

**Shirabu**

_No._

Yahaba laughs again when he sees the conversation between his friends and he can’t blame Ennoshita for having stopped responding with extreme immediacy, but he promptly tilts his head when he sees the notification of a new text, and exhales a breath of air when he sees that it’s Kyoutani.

**Kyoutani**

_Have you already talked to your parents?_

**Me**

_I’m about to_

_Wish me luck_

**Kyoutani**

_You don't need it_

**Me**

_Hey_

**Kyoutani**

_Because I know that you can face your parents by yourself, without needing luck_

Yahaba tries to suppress the smile that appears on his face.

**Me**

_You're right_

He opts to put his phone in his pocket and sighs.

He has not yet spoken with his parents about the situation that has started to travel the news portals since the previous day, since he stayed all afternoon at Kyoutani’s residence as well as for dinner. He knows that once he walks through the doors in front of him, there’s no coming back.

Sometimes he believes that smiling and pretending is a routine that tires him easily, while other times he is grateful for those habits because at that moment his customs are what give him the necessary push to open the dining room doors and hold an ear to ear smile.

His parents are sitting at the respective ends of the table while his two brothers are sitting on the same side of the table. Yahaba chooses to sit across from his older brother.

"Good morning." He says.

"Good morning," His older brother says, his curious gaze on him.

"Good morning!" His younger brother gives him his best smile, waving his hand. "Hello!"

Yahaba is not surprised when his brothers are the only ones to greet him while his parents remain silent. He himself is ignoring the evident tension dancing in the environment and chooses to pour himself a cup of coffee while his father continues reading the newspaper and his mother her phone, until she chooses to ask,

"Where did you go yesterday?"

His smile is an honest gesture on that occasion. Prevail. "You don’t know?"

His mother is the one who asks but his father is the one who leaves the newspaper in front of him. "Do you have any idea what your picture implying that you were with Kyoutani has meant?"

Yahaba brushes his hair to fix a lock before opting to take the newspaper and certainly find the photo that he had uploaded to his Instagram the previous day, the same implying that despite his name having been associated with Futakuchi's, other names may also appear next to his. His agent had deleted it later, but he’s fully aware that it only takes seconds to get a victory.

"Yes. I know what it meant." He leaves the journal on the table before choosing to rest his back against the back of the chair and cross his arms as well as leave one leg over the other. "I've had to leave this residence urgently." He begins. If lies are the communication they wish to establish, then lies are what that he will provide. A deep breath as well as remembering Kyoutani's words is all he needs to keep talking. "In order to save my relationship with Kyoutani from the decisions that you make and transmit without even consulting me first."

His older brother remains speechless while his younger brother watches him after not understanding the reason for his reaction. His mother seems to choke on his tea and his father's cup of coffee makes more noise than necessary after being propped up on the plate.

"Excuse me? But what did you just say?" His mother asks, rather, demands.

"Yesterday I had to leave without having the possibility to notify because the apparent decision that you have made almost cost me my already established relationship."

His older brother is still completely stunned.

"Mama, can I have my tea like you did too?"

His younger brother, Reo, begins to bring his face closer to his cup to probably make bubbles with his tea but his older brother stops him.

"Don't do that," Itsuki tells him.

Reo pouts with his lips but promptly opts to take one of the cookies on his plate to distract himself. Yahaba takes a look at both of them, subtle but not so much, and he quickly sees the moment when his older brother's face is invaded by the understanding of the situation.

"Well," Itsuki clears his throat to get the attention of those present at the table, and Yahaba waits for him to show himself on his side. "We have an image to keep, to show, don't we? How do we plan to maintain our external contacts if we can’t maintain our internal solidity?" He says, and Yahaba breathes a silent sigh of relief. "A united country is what others respect, fear, even, not a divided country." Itsuki looks at him. "I'm glad you were able to speak to Kyoutani."

"One time! He bought me donuts one time!" Reo says, looking between them, but Itsuki forms a line with his lips as Yahaba tries his best not to laugh. "Two times?" His younger brother adds after not seeing the expected reaction. "Three times?" He suggests.

Yahaba is sure that Reo is only contributing those comments because he has heard that the two of them have spoken well of Kyoutani, and therefore he seeks to copy them. Despite being five years old and not understanding the situation, Yahaba is glad that he is trying his best.

"Did you know?"

"We are loyal, mother." Yahaba responds, although the question has not been addressed to him. "Is not that what you want? A united family?"

"The alliance with the Futakuchi family is good and strategic." His father mentions.

"How do you even think of being with a Kyoutani, Shigeru? You're turning your back on your family." His mother adds, irritation evident in both her tone of voice and her expression.

"No, you are turning your back on our family and our country. I keep in touch with their family and I think he is a good person whose family has achieved renown and power as it should be." He maintains, since regardless of his recent and fake relationship with Kyoutani, that is his honest opinion about him and his family. Otherwise, if he really believed that both families shouldn't even see each other, he wouldn't think of Kyoutani as the person who allows him to escape his reality. "I hold our country together, I am saving it. The fact that you want to marry me with Futakuchi, one of my best friends for whom I have no romantic attraction, is taken as a threat to my relationship with Kyoutani. Do you want a civil war?"

"The Futakuchi family will support us in case of problems, a couple of dates do not mean anything against an engagement." His father chooses to express.

Yahaba avoids rolling his eyes.

The day before, he had spent his afternoon with Kyoutani but they hadn't even agreed on what kind of details to offer. They didn’t agree on the date or time when they began their relationship. "But it's more than a couple of dates." He says.

He knows that those words are not enough to convince his parents because he knows that if he is stubborn, he has inherited that trait from his parents. Unless he has evidence to substantiate his blatant alliance with Kyoutani, he must express words strong enough that his parents stop being against him.

Yahaba squints his eyes at the thought of the word his parents have decided to use to characterize their obvious alliance with Futakuchi’s parents, and bites the inner part of his cheek because he knows that despite not having discussed the details with Kyoutani, they have made a deal to let others know that they are dating, that they are a couple and nothing more. But it’s clear that for their parents that state is not enough.

He inhales air and knows he probably shouldn't open his mouth to express the next words that are the product of an inopportune moment and a sudden decision, but anyway he determines, “We're engaged."

His mother chokes on his tea again and this time his younger brother doesn’t wait for permission, he simply rests his lips on the rim of his cup to make bubbles with his tea and laugh in the process.

"Shigeru!" You can’t!"

"I can." Yahaba expresses. "And I have."

"Where is your ring?" His father asks him.

"Not on my finger because I didn't need you asking me questions. Clearly in this family we don’t know how to communicate."

"You can’t—"

"The country is already complicated enough." Yahaba begins to say as soon as he understands that perhaps not even a supposed engagement will be enough to stop them. "Every morning we are on the brink of a civil war because you do not seek to ally with Kyoutani’s family. I do, because I am interested in my country and its future. If you want to move forward with my commitment to Futakuchi, you will have to give explanations impossible to find, and unless you want the whole world to know that we are not a perfect family, you will speak with Futakuchi’s family and inform them about my situation. A destroyed country is the only thing we will be able to offer if you decide to continue with this engagement."

Silence soon makes itself present at the table.

Yahaba knows that despite the lies involved, he is right.

His commitment to Futakuchi would be taken as a threat by Kyoutani's family and he believes that if he hasn’t heard about unrest in his country so far it’s because Kyoutani's parents have chosen to trust that in some way, his own parents will look for another way out.

Perhaps Kyoutani has told them to stay calm because he trusts Yahaba. Because Kyoutani trusts him, right?

"I'm sure Futakuchi’s family and Futakuchi himself will understand once the situation is explained, in any case I’m sure they don't want to start a conflict with us either." His older brother contributes.

"Now we must solve this problem." His mother insists.

"Well, if you had talked to me earlier, we would have saved all this."

Yahaba is distracted once his younger brother points to the apparent cookies that he has not yet started to eat and that remain on his plate, so he holds up his cup to slide his plate over to him and give them to him.

"This was made by Kyoutani." Reo says before taking a first bite.

Yahaba sees the way Itsuki pretends to cough so as not to laugh.

"Do you realize where we are?"

"Kyoutani and his family are here as well." Yahaba reminds his mother. "Go ahead with your idea of commitment, we will see what happens once you post pictures of my wedding and I post pictures of Kyoutani."

"Shigeru."

"Do you want to decide on my life? Do it, go on. There will be consequences, and not just for me."

Yahaba ends the talk once he brings the coffee to his mouth and finally takes the first sip of the drink that he hopes will help him endure the rest of the day, although he is already thinking about leaving for a few hours.

He just keeps accumulating lies, getting in trouble.

Now he must tell Kyoutani that they are not only dating, but also engaged. He doesn’t even want to think about what this means for his—their country.

* * *

Ennoshita looks around him.

Dateko is different from Karasuno.

Both landscapes are covered with a mattress of snow, but Karasuno's winds are wilder while on Dateko a black scarf around his neck and orange gloves covering his hands and fingers is enough. It’s not the first time he has been to Dateko so he doesn’t have to get used to the country and its characteristics, but the difference is remarkable.

The Futakuchis are a prosperous family, responsible enough to transform Dateko into a powerful country, well-kept territory, enough to organize a gala and invite the most important families from neighboring countries, with security measures and transportation as well as the necessary accommodations.

He enjoys his time every time he comes to Dateko. However, this time, finding himself leading a horse, the absence of his calm smile indicates that feeling happy is not his current emotion. He is confused, and sad. He believes that it’s not his place to feel any particular kind of feeling considering that his name is not currently on everyone's lips, but apparently not everyone thinks like him.

"Hey."

His gaze stops being lost in the white color of the landscape and the leafless trees path once Shirabu stops being at his side to move his horse in front of him and block his path so he can speak to him.

"What’s going on?" He adds.

Ennoshita holds a small smile before lowering his head after hearing the concern accompanying his tone of voice. He understands how lost he feels, —and apparently shows—, but in the same way he is aware that Shirabu knows the answer to his own question, so he chooses to say,

"Thanks for saving me with the group this morning." He raises his head and Shirabu tilts his, both knowing that he had stopped answering no because he had gone back to sleep.

"I can speak for you, but they will notice your silence eventually." Shirabu tells him before choosing to get off his horse and take the reins with one of his hands. Ennoshita promptly copies him and they both walk side by side. Without any rush but not completely slow either. "I think I know why you are like this and that is why I suggested to ride horses instead of studying medicine as we usually do."

"Thank you, I don't really have my head focused on studying right now."

"Why?"

"You said you think you know."

Shirabu gives him an outrageous look and Ennoshita can't help but chuckle.

"But I want to hear you say it, I don't want to be guessing."

Soon all trace of amusement leaves Ennoshita's face to be replaced with a serious expression. It’s true that Shirabu knows him well enough to know that if he doesn’t respond it’s not because he has gone back to sleep, and that having gone out to ride despite the winter weather has been a good decision, but not enough to know exactly why the tour has failed to clear his head.

"He called me." His friendship with Shirabu allows him to mention words that perhaps with other people he doesn’t seek to pronounce, as well as avoid expressing many others because Shirabu doesn’t need Futakuchi's name to be said out loud to know that he is talking about him. "The news came out and the first thing he did was call me."

He doesn’t need to close his eyes or concentrate to repeat Futakuchi's words in his head, Futakuchi greeting his younger brother with more energy and then speaking with him in a calm tone of voice.

"Isn’t that good?"

"I don’t know?" Ennoshita expresses, certainly confused with his own thoughts. "I told him that I would always be there for him. I am, but, am I allowed?"

"Talk about modern love."

"I mean it." Shirabu looks at him. "He is engaged now, am I allowed to be there?"

"Wow. Wait."

Shirabu doesn't even allow him to enter his thoughts because he raises his hands and they both stop as well as their horses. He arches an eyebrow and doesn't take his gaze off him. "You can't be serious. You know that Futakuchi and Yahaba don't want this, right? Otherwise they would be celebrating already." He adds.

A sigh escapes Ennoshita's lips, his gesture of resignation turning to smoke after meeting cold air.

"Anyway, it feels bad. I feel like I'm getting where I shouldn't. It feels inadequate."

"Like this conversation."

Shirabu gets a smile to appear on Ennoshita's face, and they soon find themselves smiling before resuming the walk.

They shouldn't be talking.

They shouldn't be sharing smiles.

They shouldn’t consider each other close friends.

Because just as the country of Ennoshita looks down on the country of Shirabu, Shiratorizawa doesn’t seek to establish communication with Karasuno.

Despite being side by side and the border marking the link —or rather, the barrier—, between the two countries, the round trip of comments between the two countries is not well received. Karasuno has been growing while Shiratorizawa wearing out, and while Shiratorizawa is on constant alert for any invasion attempt, Karasuno take the signs of mistrust as a bad move.

But discovering a common interest had been enough for both of them to choose to shake the history between their countries off their shoulders to show that the relationship between Karasuno and Shiratorizawa can be a good and free of problems.

A medical course had been what it took for both of them to remain astonished after glimpsing each other, recognizing each other from news portals and names spoken aloud, and Shirabu's limousine breaking and Ennoshita asking if he could take him had been the end of any kind of tension between them as well as a conversation about muscles the beginning of their friendship.

Their parents don’t approve their friendship.

They don’t approve the bad relationship between their countries.

It’s a balance.

The two share a look once they approach the stables.

"Creo que exageras." Shirabu insists, choosing to switch languages, since if the friendship between them shouldn't be allowed, their conversations shouldn't be understood.

"Y yo creo que estoy haciendo lo correcto."

Shirabu rolls his eyes and they promptly give their horses to the local people.

"Yahaba non aveva forse detto che si sarebbe occupato della situazione?"

"E tu credi che il secondo in linea di successione sarà in grado di fare qualcosa?"

The reality is that despite the fact that in some strange way they are all friends, they all occupy positions within their families and therefore have different degrees of power and influence, since while the two of them and Futakuchi will take care of their countries once their parents step out of the thrones, Yahaba is the second prince while Terushima the third.

"Tu feras comme si tu n'avais jamais rien entendu, mais il peut être assez convaincant."

Ennoshita laughs upon hearing him. "Je sais."

Once they are informed that everything is okay, they both thank the people and walk away.

"You did see the picture he posted, right? I just know that tagging Kyoutani wasn't a simple coincidence." Shirabu tells him, and chooses to wrap his arm around Ennoshita’s to then leave his hands in the pockets of his jacket.

"But Yahaba and I are different, and until this situation is solved or not, I will act as I am doing." He certainly doesn’t want to stay away from Futakuchi, much less not participate in the group when jokes about engagement are made, but he thinks he knows what his place is, and currently, it’s not being on the other end of the line.

Shirabu glances at him while Ennoshita lowers his head. "Okay." He agrees, knowing that Ennoshita can be stubborn in his own way. "I have to do something before the gala, do you want to come with me to keep your head occupied?"

Ennoshita looks at him and they both smile.

Shirabu shouldn't feel comfortable with physical contact between the two, nor should he ask him that question in order to be with him. But in the same way that he feels comfortable with Ennoshita, at that moment Ennoshita chooses to answer,

"Yes. Merci."

* * *

With his sunglasses over his silver locks, a turquoise fur jacket embracing his figure, and his phone in hand, Yahaba scans the rows of bottles in front of him. Suddenly, he has understood the consequences of facing his parents, since he believes that if for the moment they have stopped insisting on his commitment to Futakuchi, it must be because he has assured that he is committed to Kyoutani; and for the country, that could mean the internal alliance that politicians have surely been looking to obtain for the last few years.

The good side of the situation is that since his parents don’t want to be ashamed or show that their family is only made up of misunderstandings, fakeness, and lies, they haven’t sought to confront the news of Futakuchi, so at the moment no one knows about his apparent relationship with Kyoutani.

Not even Kyoutani himself.

Yahaba holds a grimace when he remembers the detail and chooses to take the bottle of wine in front of him. He doesn't care about the label or the year, he just wants to drink, not even to get drunk, but just so he can clear his head a bit and escape reality like that. But remembering that he hasn't spoken to Futakuchi either, that his brothers probably have a lot of questions, and that he still hasn't planned what to do in case his engagement to Kyoutani becomes known, gets him to let out a sigh and grab a second bottle.

"Well, well, well, look who's here."

Yahaba's shoulders stiffen at the recognition of that voice but he promptly decorates his face with what turns out to be an honest smile before turning his head because he knows he's not in trouble.

"Fancy seeing you here, silver boy." Terushima adds, a smile on his face.

"Surprised, blondie?" Terushima laughs upon hearing him and kisses him on the cheek, getting Yahaba to smile. "Considering that you know everything that is currently going on, you shouldn't."

"I'm not surprised," He assures him, glancing at the two bottles he's holding and then looking back at him. "Is this because of your new engagement?"

Yahaba forms a line with his lips because he wishes it was just because of said commitment to Futakuchi, but instead of keeping himself trapped in his own problems, he chooses to say, "Do you have time to talk? It's on me."

A lopsided smile leads them to stop thinking about what time it may be, and after counted words and said situations, both find themselves sitting in the external vault of the place that Futakuchi had recommended to them to buy alcohol. They are the only ones in the place and for it, it’s a private area, since according to Futakuchi, the head of the place is an ally instead of an enemy and their names won’t be said.

With two glasses with traces of wine and half an empty bottle, Terushima opts to take out a box of cigarettes from his red coat’s pocket and light one.

"Why do you spend your money on that?" Yahaba glances at him as Terushima inhales the first puff.

"You spend your money on that." With his cigarette, Terushima points to the bottle of wine. "And I spend my money on this." He points to the cigarette with his free hand. "But I think that right now, at this very moment, you need it more than I do."

Terushima exhales the smoke on his face at the same time that he offers him his cigarette, and Yahaba coughs as well as waves his hand to spread the smoke. Terushima laughs and Yahaba accepts the cigarette to leave it between his lips.

"So your lie with Kyoutani is this arrangement you mentioned?" Terushima asks him, settling into his individual couch while Yahaba sits sideways so he can watch him, one elbow on the armrest and his knuckles against his chin.

"I got nervous, okay?" Yahaba returns the cigarette. "My parents are suffocating me all the time, I know it wasn’t a good idea to make a sudden decision without talking to Kyoutani before, but it was the first solution that my mind came up with, and you and I know that I'm not the brightest person."

Terushima raises both eyebrows.

"Understandable. Mine don't even care about me."

"Well." Yahaba allows the smoke to make its way past his lips to find the cold air around him. "Now mine are not interested in me either." He reaches up to take his still half-full glass and lifts it towards Terushima as if toasting, and covers the bitter taste of nicotine with the sweetness of the wine.

"We are princes, they don't care." Terushima tells him and Yahaba understands that while Ennoshita, Futakuchi, and Shirabu are the older brothers of their families, Terushima and he are not, and that detail leads him to think that he has made a good decision by deciding to talk to Terushima, since if there is anyone who understands, it‘s him. "What about your older brother? Wouldn't it be more strategic to seek an alliance for him?"

"He’s aromatic, remember? He doesn't want a relationship, a romantic relationship at least, and when my parents hinted an alliance with Kyoutani's older sister, when perhaps there was still the possibility of getting along between the two families, he didn't want to and Kyoutani's sister said no from the beginning. Be it a romantic relationship or a political relationship, Kyoutani’s sister refuses and we can’t blame her. So now my parents bother me."

"But he is the next king."

Yahaba hums before taking another sip from his glass. "I wouldn't be so sure about that. Considering who my parents are, if my brother isn't able to provide alliances for them on his own, then they'll have no problem changing the succession, but I don't know."

Terushima looks at him dumbfounded, the cigarette between his fingers.

"Your parents suck." He tells him, and Yahaba toasts to his words as Terushima brings the cigarette to his mouth to take another drag. "And so you haven't told Kyoutani about the engagement."

Yahaba makes a face. "Please don't remind me," He asks before falling into his couch like Terushima. He knows it's a small detail because only the level of their fake relationship has changed, but that detail turns out to be something very important.

"So... Kyoutani, huh?" Yahaba gives him a serious look because he knows that the smile that occupies Terushima's face has nothing of innocent. Grayish smoke is released away from his face. "When will you tell him that you like him?"

"What?" Yahaba frowns, not understanding the reason for that question, and chooses to take the last sip of his glass before setting it on the small round table between them. "I don't like him." He lies.

"Oh, please." Terushima straightens up. "I have enough with one pair, I don't need another pair looking at each other without saying anything."

"Huh?"

"Wow," Not at all impressed, Terushima looks at him. "You really only have eyes for Kyoutani."

Yahaba rolls his eyes before looking away from him to cross his arms and gaze at the view in front of them. Again he takes a look at him and forms a line with his lips to avoid laughing when he finds Terushima giving him an amused smile, but promptly asks himself why if Terushima notices, then Kyoutani can’t.

"He's handsome." He chooses to mention.

"Is that why you accepted his offer?" Terushima nudges him.

"Shut up," Yahaba pushes him off him and Terushima laughs. "He needs his sister to stay where she is and my family allying with Futakuchi and his family is bad for him. Just for that. Besides, this situation is stupid. My brother is rejected for who he is, it doesn't make sense. And now the pressure is on me. We move forward but I feel like we're still in the past." He quickly rolls his eyes and any trace of burning that he had begun to feel on his cheeks disappears. "My parents' control or my stubbornness, we'll see who wins."

The fake relationship between him and Kyoutani has only started because faking a long-standing relationship so that his meddling parents don't represent a problem is the only solution. There are no underlying motives.

"Do you want me to help you with that?" Terushima offers, leaving his cigarette on the ashtray.

"Huh?"

"You said you don't have a ring, right? And you need one."

"Yeah."

"Okay, consider this as my wedding gift then, or my divorce gift." After receiving a confused look, Terushima continues speaking. "I will buy rings for you and Kyoutani so your parents believe that the engagement is real. Come to my residence, my family will be busy, I will bring examples of rings for you to choose. But you should also tell Futakuchi, he has to be aware of this situation, you two have to talk."

Yahaba considers his proposal.

He has to talk to both Kyoutani and Futakuchi, and Terushima being by his side doesn't sound like a bad idea. Besides, Terushima is right, and they need a couple of rings before his parents start asking questions that can't be answered in case there isn't a ring on his finger soon.

For the same reason, he extends his hand.

"Deal."

Terushima gives him his best grin and takes his hand.

"Deal."

* * *

Yahaba looks at the two people in front of him and clears his throat.

"Okay, I'll say it quickly and simply." He doesn't know if he pronounces those words for himself because he knows he should be clear while speaking, or for the next people who will listen to the abrupt change of his decisions. "I won't marry you." He looks at Futakuchi. "I will marry you." He looks at Kyoutani.

"What?" Futakuchi raises both eyebrows.

"Excuse me?" Kyoutani arches an eyebrow.

"I have the champagne!" The three hear Terushima exclaim, and he himself smiles with innocence when three pairs of eyes remain on him, although soon the attention comes back to Yahaba.

Yahaba chooses to start talking to Futakuchi, since while his words are certainly news to Kyoutani as well, Futakuchi is the person furthest from the chain of decisions.

"I know you don't want us to get married, so with Kyoutani we thought about saying that we are dating so that our parents don't bother us. I have told my parents, but they weren't taking my words seriously and it just thought about saying that we are engaged."

"You told your parents we're engaged?" He looks at Kyoutani when he asks that question. "That was not part of the pl—"

"I know." Yahaba interrupts him because he is more than aware that they had only agreed to say that they are dating, not that they are engaged. "And I'm really sorry I didn't talk about this with you earlier, but they were asking me questions, and I don't know, I thought about it and said it because they want to promise me to him, but they can't if I'm already promised to you."

Kyoutani crosses his arms and an obvious sigh makes its way past his lips.

"Yahaba, do you have any idea what it could mean for our country?"

"I know, I'm sorry, I'm really sorry. But I didn’t know what else to do."

"And what are we doing here?"

Instead of choosing to grimace because he doesn't want Kyoutani to feel uncomfortable with the situation, Yahaba chooses to hold up the best attempt of a smile that anyway still fails to convince Kyoutani because Kyoutani looks at him with narrowed eyes even before he starts talking.

"We need rings, Terushima said he will buy them for us."

"Happy divorce." Terushima says seconds before the cork flies off.

"Give me a drink." Kyoutani says.

Yahaba arches an eyebrow. "You never drink."

"This deserves at least one drink."

"I'm really sorry."

"Just..." Kyoutani gestures with his hands and Yahaba can’t help but grimace. "Let me process all of this." He adds before approaching Terushima.

Yahaba looks at him sadly, since the least he wants is for Kyoutani to think that it was a bad decision to propose to him to have a fake relationship just because stubbornness is part of his family, but before he can even think about approaching him, Futakuchi occupies his visual field.

"This is the solution you mentioned, then?" Unlike Kyoutani, Futakuchi doesn’t sound or appear to be slightly annoyed with the change in the situation. "We won’t get married?"

"No, if everything goes well."

Yahaba no longer knows what should go well for them to be the winners of the situation. His parents haven’t insisted on the issue since he mentioned that he is engaged to Kyoutani, and it’s up to them to talk to Futakuchi's parents or not.

"Why isn't this all over the place? Why am I finding out through you?"

"My parents have to talk with your parents, what do you think they will think?"

Futakuchi shrugs. "I don't know, my parents wanted this engagement, not me. But if I know that this is all a quick decision, you don't want my parents to come to the same conclusion."

"You don't want this marriage?"

"You just said it, of course not, Yahaba, you are my best friend. Besides—Nothing. Forget it."

Yahaba arches an eyebrow. "What?"

Futakuchi rolls his eyes and looks around them, seeming to be wondering if answering his question is a good idea or not, but finally crosses his arms and keeps looking away as he answers, "I like someone else."

"Who?"

"Does that matter?"

"Who is it?"

Yahaba manages to replace the seriousness on his face that the situation has given him when a barely divisible shade of pink decorates Futakuchi's cheeks.

"Hair..." He snorts. "Black hair..." He murmurs. "Pretty... ah... so pretty... ugh, intimidating..."

"YOU LIKE ENNOSH—"

Soon Futakuchi's hands are on his mouth but Yahaba remains surprised since it only took seconds to deduce who he is talking about, and therefore, who he likes. He raises both eyebrows, certainly thinking of all the times he has found Futakuchi casting sideways glances at Ennoshita, and opens his mouth, still covered, but Futakuchi says,

"Shout it out and I'll shout that you like Kyoutani."

Yahaba frowns and Futakuchi removes his hands from his mouth.

"I don't like Kyoutani."

Futakuchi gives him an exasperated look. "And I don't like Chikara."

Yahaba sighs before resting his eyes on Kyoutani, who doesn't seem to have the patience to deal with the decisions he makes as he finds himself talking to Terushima with a drink in hand.

Terushima's words quickly appear in his head. He understands why he had mentioned that he is already used to a pair, since Yahaba knows that he needs to start thinking about all the moments that he has heard or seen something to realize the reasons behind the looks between Futakuchi and Ennoshita, but he also believes that if they are obvious and he hasn’t realized it, it’s because Terushima is right and he only has eyes for Kyoutani.

He thinks it's crazy.

He should hate Kyoutani, they shouldn't even be able to find themselves in the same room and breathing the same air considering that Kyoutani's family has caused the country to be divided in two for political reasons. And so he did, perhaps earlier, when he still didn’t know Kyoutani and was only carried away by his parents' paraphrasing.

But Yahaba knows that Kyoutani is a good person, and so is his family.

As well as that despite being a fake relationship what they have proposed between them, his feelings are everything but fake.

"Why don't your parents seek an alliance with Ennoshita then?" He decides to ask Futakuchi when Kyoutani moves his head towards him so as not to be found staring at him.

"Because Karasuno isn't as big as Dateko? It’s true that they are stable and prospering, but my parents always prefer to stay in the past, that's why they chose you."

"Thank you."

"Sorry."

Yahaba bites the inner part of his cheek.

It’s true that while Johzenji remains stable over time, his country has begun to fall due to the political fight. Shirarotizawa is not at its best, and both Dateko and Karasuno are growing, prospering. The reality is that their positions are different and for the same reason he tends to go to Terushima as it had happened previously, since both are princes, while Ennoshita, Futakuchi, and Shirabu, the future leaders of their countries.

The map is complicated, but the interesting fact is the connections and limits.

"But Karasuno is next to Shiratorizawa, right?" Yahaba remembers, as well as that he and Kyoutani shouldn't get along, Ennoshita and Shirabu neither thanks to the history between their countries. "What if they formed an alliance? I’m a prince, Futakuchi, that is the truth. Both you and Ennoshita and Shirabu are future kings, and if two future kings join forces, what will become of you? Thus, Karasuno becomes a threat."

Futakuchi arches an eyebrow at this. "Karasuno and Shiratorizawa don't get along, you know that. Chikara and Shirabu only get along because they are good people."

"Wow, I can't believe you just said out loud that Shirabu is a good person."

"Why would my parents choose Karasuno over Shiratorizawa?"

"You said it, Aoba Johsai is not going through its prime, and neither is Shiratorizawa. Karasuno is the best candidate."

Futakuchi opts to leave his hands on his hips and tilt his head, certainly thinking of his words. Yahaba thinks he's right, and being honest is the only option. For him, an engagement with Futakuchi would suit him because Dateko is flourishing and Futakuchi is a future king, but for him it’s impossible (or certainly possible) to deceive his heart.

"And how do I convince my parents that Karasuno and Shiratorizawa, for the first time, enemy countries with a history that everyone knows, are about to ally?"

"The simplest way you know, start a rumor."

"About what?"

Yahaba can think of only one possible answer.

"Our names were all over the place. Ennoshita and Shirabu about to get married?"

The honest laugh that Futakuchi allows to escape his lips attracts the attention of Kyoutani and Terushima, but Yahaba rolls his eyes.

"Don't make me laugh, and who will convince Shirabu, you?"

Bitterness takes possession of Yahaba's face. "Trust me."

Futakuchi laughs again when he hears him but takes out his phone. "We have to talk to them first, and also tell them about all this. I think they are together now, I'll tell the two of them to come so we can all talk." He says before walking away from him.

Yahaba feels that even for a little bit, he can breathe.

It shouldn’t be forgotten that both he and Futakuchi are involved in the situation in the same way as their parents have been the ones to put them in it. But the follow-up of it now depends on them, in what way they relate to each other and how much communication they allow to establish, so he chooses to approach Kyoutani once Terushima goes with Futakuchi.

"Are you mad?"

Kyoutani looks at him, a certainly empty glass in hand.

"No, but—"

"Do you dislike the idea of being engaged to me that much?" He asks, not with an irritated tone of voice, but lowering his gaze since he can't help but wonder if his parents have really wanted an engagement with Futakuchi just because they believe that due to his personality he is not capable of being with someone.

"Don't try to— Just— No." Kyoutani gets him to raise his head. "I just want you to think about the political, social, and economic consequences that this news could bring to our families and our country. It's lying to my family too and I don't like lying."

"I'll explain the whole situation to your sister if you want to, unless she hates me."

"She doesn't hate you, but Yahaba, this is complicated."

"Kyoutani." He corrects him, and chuckles.

"What?"

"Now I'll be a Kyoutani, won't I?"

"Oh, you want my last name?"

"I don’t know?" Yahaba shrugs before joining his hands behind his back. "Is that okay?"

"Anyway, I won't call you by my last name for now." Yahaba's shoulders drop as Kyoutani waves his hands. "This is complicated, do you understand that?"

"I know, I know I only bring you problems, so you choose our rings, it's the least I can offer you."

Yahaba believes that despite Kyoutani having been the one to propose the fake relationship between the two, he is the one who is making it a problem instead of a solution, because while Kyoutani has contributed the idea so that their families stop fighting and for the country to be safe, Yahaba is sure that his intentions are not the same.

"You don't just bring me problems." Kyoutani tells him. "You also bring me headaches." He adds promptly, and Yahaba glances at him, though his seriousness quickly fades when Kyoutani laughs. "And I will not choose alone, we are a couple, remember? You said it. Now come on, we have to choose."

Kyoutani moves and Yahaba chases him with his eyes.

A couple.

He knows they are not a couple.

* * *

Ennoshita holds up a smile upon seeing Shirabu looking at the necklace in his hands.

"Do you think he will like it?" Shirabu asks him, allowing him to watch the accessory with better detention after holding it in the middle of them, as if during the last hours going through several stores to find the ideal necklace hadn’t been the succession of events.

"It's very beautiful without a doubt." Ennoshita responds after visualizing the crystals that form a guitar pendant. "I'm glad he makes you happy, you look happier." He adds with no hesitation, since a smile continues to be found on Shirabu's face as he puts the newly acquired necklace in its case.

"Thank you."

Ennoshita gives him a smile but it quickly leaves his face once his phone vibrates and he sees the name on the screen. He sighs and for the same reason speaks when he feels Shirabu's gaze on him.

"He’s calling me," He looks at Futakuchi's name.

"Answer."

"Should I?" He asks, to Shirabu, to himself.

He has been receiving texts for a few minutes now but he has chosen not to see them because he knows that the vibration he feels is the notification from Futakuchi.

He is still confused. Ignoring him or not paying attention to him is not to his liking, but the reality is that they still don’t know what is happening with his engagement with Yahaba, and Ennoshita doesn’t want to intrude where he shouldn’t.

"Answer." Shirabu says. "What, now you won't answer?"

"I don’t know?" Ennoshita expresses because he really doesn't know what to do. "I think I shouldn't."

"What if it's urgent?"

"But nothing happened?"

"Answer." Shirabu repeats.

"No."

"Answer."

"No— Shir—" Ennoshita stretches his arm when Shirabu ends up losing his temper and grabs his phone. "Don't even think a—"

"Hello?"

Shirabu gives him his best triumphant smirk and Ennoshita, "Ugh."

"Yes. Shirabu, I am now Ennoshita's manager and he is currently unavailable." Ennoshita rolls his eyes at his serious voice but arches an eyebrow when Shirabu says, "What? Us? Why— Futakuchi. You better— Fine. Fine, yes. Okay. We are going now."

Shirabu ends the call and gives him his phone.

"Where are we going?"

Instead of answering him, Shirabu holds up his index finger and presses the button that connects him to the driver. "Terushima’s residence, please."

"What?" Ennoshita asks, confused.

"He said they're all there and they need to talk to us."

Upon hearing the pronunciation of his words, Ennoshita bites his lower lip and blinks, once, twice, three times. If they need them to come, it must be because they need to tell them something important.

"Do you think—"

"No, Ennoshita." Shirabu doesn't let him finish his question because he knows what's going through his mind. "They won’t get married. Kyoutani is there too." He tells him, and Ennoshita straightens up in his place. "Look, I never say it, but, let's trust Yahaba, just this time, okay?"

Ennoshita nods but feels nervousness creep over him anyway. He is not part of the great scene because he is a person who is behind, with his emotions waking up while in reality he wants them to stay off, because in case Futakuchi and Yahaba decide to carry out the commitment for the good of their countries and because they want to, then he will have to accept it.

He thinks he can’t afford to complain. He has had many opportunities to mention to Futakuchi that he likes him, but he has never done so for fear of losing him while now he really has a chance for that to happen. It’s a possibility, it’s a possible reality, but he is not ready to face it.

Once the car stops in front of the house assigned to Terushima's family, and both of them remain in front of it, Ennoshita exhales a breath of air, but his gaze slides towards Shirabu when he chooses to take his arm with his without looking at him. That gesture gets him to hold a lopsided smile because Shirabu is already comfortable with him in that way, and because that support allows him to climb the steps that lead them to the entrance, but once the doors open and the first thing Ennoshita sees are drawers crammed with multiple varieties of wedding rings, he stops.

"Shirabu, I think—"

"Trust me." Shirabu says after taking a look at the rings. "If something happens that you don't want, we'll leave, it's simple."

Shirabu shakes his shoulders for Ennoshita to do the same and the last one nods, getting Shirabu to understand that he is fine, so still holding each other by the arm, they both move to where it’s indicated and they soon meet familiar faces.

"Hey!" Terushima is the first to notice them and his smile widens. "Hello!"

Shirabu and Ennoshita choose to stop staying together once Ennoshita sits in one of the available couches while Shirabu sits on the armrest of it. Shirabu just waves his hand at them while Ennoshita barely smiles.

"Hello."

"All good?" Terushima tilts his head.

Ennoshita believes that perhaps both of them should have greeted them differently, with more emotion and with more joy considering that he can’t remember the last time they all met in the same room, same place, and talking. As they come from different countries, they don’t usually see each other while their groupchat never stops with the notifications, but seeing each other face to face is different. Ennoshita averts his eyes towards Futakuchi but promptly sees Terushima when he notices that Futakuchi is looking at him.

"Bad day, that's all."

"Yeah, so," Shirabu starts to say, "Why do you need us?"

"Always so direct." They both watch Yahaba when he speaks.

"Why did we see rings at the entrance?"

Ennoshita fixes his gaze on Futakuchi and Yahaba when they share a look but then frowns in confusion when Yahaba stops looking at Futakuchi to watch Kyoutani, and they soon see two hands, two ring fingers decorated with matching silver rings.

"What?" Shirabu asks, and sounds as confused as he is.

"We won’t get married," Yahaba inquires, pointing between him and Futakuchi. "We will." He points to Kyoutani.

"Fake marriage." Kyoutani clarifies.

"Fake marriage."

Ennoshita raises both eyebrows and finally his eyes meet Futakuchi's when he speaks. "They will pretend that they were already engaged, being a secret so that our parents don’t insist." He says, approaching where he and Shirabu are. "Yahaba's parents already know it and mine don't, but for the moment our engagement is canceled, at least for us." Futakuchi continues speaking as he sits not so far from him.

The surprise at having heard the change of plans is quickly replaced by the enthusiasm that runs through Ennoshita's body because Futakuchi is close to him, and when Futakuchi finally chooses to finish eliminating the space between them after decorating his face with the typical smile that he has gotten used to seeing as well as after wrapping his arm around his shoulders, Ennoshita allows himself to lift one corner of his mouth.

"Are you still having a bad day?" Futakuchi asks him in a lower voice.

With Futakuchi by his side, and his arm around his shoulders, Ennoshita can only say, "No."

"It’s good to see you."

"Yes, great, amazing, congratulations to the new couple." Ennoshita chuckles when he listens to Shirabu and remembers that he and Futakuchi are not the only ones present, although that doesn’t prevent him from leaving his head against his shoulder. "Why are we here then?"

"Because for our parents to leave us alone we need your help."

"Say we already knew about you two?" Ennoshita asks him.

"And something else."

Ennoshita has become accustomed to knowing how to read the people around him, whether he is close to them or not. In a world where perfect smiles are the first condition and one smiles to then turn and stop smiling, he has learned to read facial features as well as gestures and the intentions behind those, so when at that moment he looks at Yahaba exchanging glances with everyone in the room except for him and Shirabu, he straightens up and arches an eyebrow.

"We need you to say that you two are engaged."

He can read all people, but anyway he says, "What?" Along with Shirabu.

Ennoshita holds up a confused expression but the first thing he does is turn his head towards Futakuchi, certainly having separated from him although Futakuchi's arm remains slightly over his shoulders. He goes over the words Yahaba just said out loud but he just keeps getting confused.

"What do we have to do with this?" He adds.

"So that Futakuchi's parents don't seek to associate him with you two?"

Ennoshita keeps looking at Futakuchi even though Yahaba is the one to answer his question with another question, and keeps looking at him even though his friends are the ones speaking.

"And you?" Shirabu asks.

"Third prince. My crown holds no power." Terushima answers, the question having been directed at him. "I am not part of this game."

"Did you know about this?" Ennoshita’s gaze finds Futakuchi’s face.

"I—"

"Unbelievable." Any attempt is interrupted by Shirabu. Without needing Futakuchi to finish his sentence, Ennoshita stops looking at him. On his own Futakuchi stops holding his arm around his shoulders once Ennoshita crosses his arms. "Are you telling me that we were called here for this? Your hypocrisy is spectacular."

Ennoshita leans towards Shirabu, his body language proving that while he is the person who knows how to anticipate words, Shirabu is the one who faces the consequences for them.

"You blame your parents for treating marriage like a game, like it means nothing, this whole situation started because of that and what you want us to do is exactly the same." Shirabu continues to express, irritation accompanying his sentences. "For months, years, Ennoshita and I have been in charge of balancing our friendship so that no flare-up occurs between our countries, and now you are asking us to do this when you are aware of the history between our countries, of the past that follows us, and the complicated situation of the frontier. People don’t even know, people don’t even want to believe that we get along. You want us to buy rings too?"

It’s ridiculous, Ennoshita thinks.

His parents only allow his friendship with Shirabu because he doesn’t comment much on it and because they trust him to manage his own relationships, but that doesn’t mean that they are totally happy with it, since after all, Shirabu is still the future leader of the country that his country has always clashed with for different reasons, and the fact that his friends don't even seem to have thought about that makes him think the same as Shirabu.

"Is this a joke? I’m leaving." Shirabu determines.

"You can’t be selfish." Yahaba stops him.

"Don’t you dare say I’m selfish. I’m saving my country, and that’s being smart."

Shirabu throws him a glance before getting up and heading towards the entrance of the residence, his steps promptly being followed by Ennoshita. He knows that their eyes are on their backs, but Ennoshita is also aware that being part of the plan is not something they are willing to do, much less considering the circumstances already mentioned by Shirabu.

He believes that when he can be happy because Futakuchi and Yahaba will not get married, they assure them that in order to ensure that their happiness will prevail, then it’s their turn to be part of the plan.

"Chikara."

Ennoshita faces the door of the residence once his name is pronounced, and sees Shirabu watching him from the stairs before he turns around to find Futakuchi.

"Can I take you home?" It’s not a mere, simple question, but words important enough to alter the situation or let it end as it’s already happening, they leave and the rest stay.

He bites the inner part of his cheek. He knows that he should say no and go with Shirabu, because he has gone to that place with him and because their friends have put them in the same situation, but the reality is that Futakuchi is in front of him and that doesn’t tend to happen.

"Please."

That word is enough to make him turn to look at Shirabu, who simply raises both hands before understanding his answer, so then he looks at Futakuchi and crosses his arms, although Futakuchi soon finds himself coming down the stairs with him.

Futakuchi looks at him while they wait for his car to arrive, but forms a line with his lips when Ennoshita chooses to look away. He doesn't want Ennoshita to act that way just because of Yahaba's words. He has realized that Ennoshita has certainly been acting distant with him, so he had hoped that being side by side again would change that, yet Yahaba's words had changed his position again.

The car arrives and Futakuchi opens the door for Ennoshita even though the driver gets out.

"To Ennoshita’s. Take the long way, please." He says before getting in the car and the driver closes the door.

"I heard how you asked him to take the long way." Ennoshita tells him.

"I just want to spend time with you." Futakuchi is sincere, though he remains glued to the door even if what he wants is to sit closer to Ennoshita, who is still with his arms crossed and with an expression that lacks emotion. "I haven't seen you much since you all got here."

"I was busy. Being with Shirabu, actually, as you should know, or how you don’t know, clearly." Ennoshita watches him. "We can't go to each other's country so we take advantage of our time here." He says before turning his head to look out the window.

Futakuchi lets out a silent sigh and chooses to rest his arm on the backrest as well as lean his head on it to watch Ennoshita. They are side by side but are completely far away, because while video calls always carry laughter and smiles, at that moment Ennoshita doesn't even want to see him no matter if he has allowed him to take him home. He believes that perhaps he should have thought of a better plan with Yahaba, since clearly it hasn’t been well received by either Ennoshita or Shirabu.

"Stop looking at me." Ennoshita asks, though his voice is soft and he continues to stare out the window.

"Are you mad at me?"

Ennoshita lets out a sigh before turning his head to look at him and his arms relax. "Kenji, what is this pointless situation all of you have made up?"

"Okay, okay, you called me Kenji, that's good."

Ennoshita glances at him but Futakuchi smiles sideways, and continues to do so while Ennoshita keeps looking at him until his face seems to soften. "You are a future king and you still don't know how to behave." Ennoshita mentions and Futakuchi tilts his head because he doesn't know what he is referring to exactly. "When I arrived, you didn’t say hello, that's rude."

Futakuchi opens his mouth to complain but quickly understands the intentions behind his words, so he unbuckles his belt to sit next to him, and holds a smile before leaning in to kiss him on the cheek as a greeting.

"Please don't be mad." He says, not separating himself from him so much.

"Are you aware of what you asked of us?"

"Yes but—"

"You know my relationship with Shiratorizawa."

"I know—"

"So?" Futakuchi decides to remain quiet as he knows that Ennoshita has more to say. "It also doesn't make sense. There are many countries, more than Terushima’s. Your parents can choose them anyway. If Yahaba has been chosen and he is a prince, there are countries beyond ours. We will not start a rumor that can end my country and Shirabu's just because."

"It's not just because, it’s for—"

"For?"

Futakuchi bites his lower lip.

He doesn’t care about other countries, neither political alliances nor economic consequences nor social rumors. He doesn't want Karasuno, he wants Ennoshita, the person sitting next to him at that moment, watching him. But Ennoshita is still not aware of that detail.

"You."

"For me?" Ennoshita asks, confused.

Futakuchi grimaces because he knows he's not being consistent.

"I don't want you to be married to someone else." He opts to say, since in the end that is still part of the truth.

"But you want me to marry Shirabu?"

_"_ No, I don’t—" He moves his arms but rolls his eyes because he is not making himself understood and he will not be able to do it unless he tells the truth but he is not quite sure that he wants to do that. "Ugh."

"Besides, my parents don't want me to marry anyone. They know that marriage is not the only way to establish alliances and create pacts. Unlike you, because clearly you have no ide—"

"Okay." Futakuchi interrupts him. "It’s for me."

"So I was an excuse."

"But it's also because of you, for you."

Ennoshita frowns, disoriented. Futakuchi knows that he is confused by the words he is mentioning so he decides to keep talking. "I want an alliance with you."

"With my country?"

Futakuchi relaxes his shoulders and exhales.

"With you." He specifies, and Ennoshita looks at him. "Yahaba told me about Kyoutani and him, and I told him that I don't care because my parents are the ones who want the engagement, and Yahaba said why don’t you care? And I said that I am interested in someone else, and Yahaba asked me who, and I told him that I’m interested in you, and well, Yahaba said that then I should propose an alliance but my parents surely will not want to because, don’t get offended, but my country is better so Yahaba told me that if you ally with Shirabu, it’s bad for me and Dateko, so if you intend to ally with Shirabu, my parents will want you and then you cancel your alliance with Shirabu, it’s only to scare your parents."

Futakuchi lets out a great breath of air when he finishes explaining the whole situation that has led them to find themselves in that way at that time, but Ennoshita continues to look at him still confused.

"All of you are completely craz—"

Futakuchi shakes his head because he has already given up and leaves his hands on Ennoshita’s cheeks. "I like you." He says, and those words get Ennoshita to remain silent as well as hold another kind of expression on his face. Futakuchi stares at him, and reminds himself to keep talking. "I don't want to marry Yahaba because I like you." He repeats, since that's the truth. "I like you, I like you a lot, Chikara." He says, and laughs.

He chuckles because he can't believe that after all the scenarios he's imagined in his head, that's the way it's happening.

"When I heard of my engagement with Yahaba, you were the first person that appeared in my mind. I want to be with you, I'm sure of that, only with you. That's why I called you and I know that—"

"I like you too."

Futakuchi blinks, one, two, three times.

"What?"

Ennoshita wrinkles his nose before smiling and looking at him.

"I've tried to keep my distance from you because I know my intentions with you, and I didn't want to meddle, and when I saw the rings I was really upset because I thought you would marry Yahaba and I'm sorry, but I didn't and I don’t want that to happen."

"We'll talk about that in a second, but now please, please just let me—"

He stops talking to lean towards him and capture Ennoshita's lips with his own, promptly feeling Ennoshita's hands resting on his chest, finally having uncrossed his arms because what they seek is not to impose distance, but to eliminate it.

It feels good, that's what he thinks, kissing Ennoshita. It feels good, it feels right.

"Futakuchi Kenji," Ennoshita breathes into his mouth when a millimeter remains between them. "Did you just kiss me?"

Futakuchi can only smile, because while for the world his happiness means the prosperity of his country and its resources, in reality, for him, happiness is hearing Ennoshita whispering his name.

"Yeah, I just did."

"Are you kissing me to try to convince me?"

"I don't want to convince you to do anything because you just made it clear to me that some of my decisions hurt you." He says, but keeps smiling when Ennoshita takes his shirt tighter, assuring him that everything is fine. "But is it working?"

Ennoshita sighs and chooses to surround his neck with his arms. "I’m not sure, I don’t think so, I think I need more to be convinced."

They both smile before allowing their lips to meet without realizing that the car has stopped because the long way has already come to an end, ironically. Futakuchi caresses the smooth skin of his cheek with his thumbs while Ennoshita traces paths through the brown of his hair, both realizing how foolish they have been.

"It wasn't." Futakuchi wants to assure him that making him and Shirabu angry has never been the purpose, but expressing those words becomes difficult with Ennoshita still chasing his lips. "Our intention." Futakuchi allows his lips to meet Ennoshita's. "To offend you."

Ennoshita lays a few inches between them and arches an eyebrow. He stares at Futakuchi until he decides to sigh. "I'll convince Shirabu," Futakuchi raises both eyebrows but Ennoshita continues speaking after noticing his change of expression. "But we will do things our way."

Futakuchi nods, ready to be the one to cut the distance again, but Ennoshita rests his index finger on his lips.

"We have company."

Futakuchi looks at him confused until he sees Ennoshita looking behind him, and he turns his head to find Ennoshita's little brother rushing down the stairs of the residence, clearly having escaped from those in his charge. They both laugh and Futakuchi chooses to open the car door before he bumps into it.

"Kenchi! Kenchi!" Koji tries to get in but Futakuchi moves to help him and leaves him on his lap, a smile soon escaping his lips when he hugs him.

"Oh, but look at you, you have grown so much," He says, since although he usually sees him by video call, seeing him in person is different. Koji smiles, rubbing his head on Futakuchi’s torso and Futakuchi raises both eyebrows when he realizes that he has green hair, but is distracted when he hears Ennoshita.

"And hello to me?"

Koji laughs upon listening to his brother and stretches his arms and makes grabby hands at Ennoshita, though after Ennoshita takes him and gives him a kiss on his cheek, Koji stays between them and tilts his head.

"Can we go get ice cream?" He asks them.

"Sur—"

"No," Ennoshita says, fixing some of his locks when Koji pouts. "Kenji is busy and you have a lot of ice cream already."

"So can Kenchi come eat ice cream with us?"

"Sur—"

"No." Ennoshita glances at Futakuchi when he hears him, but Ennoshita's brother replaces his pout with a smile when Ennoshita caresses his cheek after seeing him down because of his negative answer. "He's busy and so we will be by eating ice cream." Futakuchi narrows his eyes and Ennoshita smiles triumphantly. "Come on, say goodbye to Kenji."

Futakuchi waves his hand when Koji does. "Bye, bye Kenchi."

Ennoshita opens the door of his side of the car and holds his little brother.

"You heard him, bye, bye Kenji."

"Can I call you later?" Futakuchi asks quietly, and Ennoshita smiles.

"You can."

Koji looks at them smiling and Futakuchi is the one who smiles the most when Ennoshita kisses him on the cheek before finally getting out of the car, and lowers the window on his side when Ennoshita turns around to head towards the residence with his brother in his arms.

"How many times have I told you not to run?"

"Can I do that with Kenchi too?"

"No, get your own Kenji."

Futakuchi laughs upon hearing him, and waves his hand again when Koji moves his to finally send him off, believing that although it’s a goodbye, something new has begun.

* * *

Shirabu holds the necklace between his fingers no matter how many times he has already seen it, and then leaves it on a chest on which one of his palms also remains.

"Did you like it?"

He raises his chin and his gaze finds grey eyes.

"A lot," Semi answers, and Shirabu smiles. "But you don't have to give me these gifts."

Without losing his smile, Shirabu flops down beside him, not pulling away when an arm wraps around his shoulders. "I just wanted to give you a gift, it's not because I want to show you what I can buy or whatever, I just wanted to give you a gift, can’t I?" He expresses looking at the ceiling of a room that doesn’t belong to him but that he has become used to seeing, because just as he learns to keep his own secrets, he also knows he pays a good amount of money to his bodyguard and driver.

"Okay." Shirabu smiles triumphantly when a kiss is placed on his head. "But your company is worth much more to me."

After hearing those words, he chooses to stop lying down to be able to watch Semi hold a smile similar to his, but as soon as their smiles are close, his phone vibrates and his expression changes in a matter of seconds, making Semi laugh.

He looks to the side and sees the name on his phone screen.

"One of your friends?" Semi asks him.

"Yes." He takes the phone. "Does it bother you if I answer?"

"No, it's okay, do you want me to give you space?"

Shirabu wrinkles his nose before shaking his head and opting to sit up. He touches the screen of his phone and Ennoshita happens to appear.

"Hi," He says.

"Hi," Shirabu copies him and proceeds to move his phone to indicate that he is with Semi.

"Hello Semi-san."

"Hi," Semi waves one of his hands.

Shirabu refocuses on himself and they both raise both eyebrows.

"So you've gone with him."

"Our friends have made me mad."

Ennoshita lets out a sigh but runs his gaze. "The necklace looks nice on you."

Semi laughs. "Thank you."

"What's going on?" Shirabu asks him, knowing that his call is not a coincidence.

Ennoshita remains silent for a few seconds before finally answering, "I have spoken with Kenji."

"Just talk?" Shirabu asks him not at all impressed, since just as he knows Ennoshita's hidden feelings, Ennoshita is the only person who knows the person who is still with him, but as soon as Ennoshita holds an entertained smile on his face, Shirabu shakes his head and bites his lower lip. "Finally, congratulations." He says, although he is really happy for him because he doesn't need Ennoshita to add more words to know that precisely those haven’t been the only ones to be exchanged with Futakuchi. "But that can only mean one thing if you've called me."

"Look, I've been as offended as you with the strange proposal they've made to us, but if you think about it from another perspective, it makes sense."

"Enlighten me."

"Dateko and my country are the great nations now."

"How nice, thanks for reminding me."

Ennoshita glances at him and Shirabu glances back.

"So I think your country would benefit if we made a triple alliance."

Shirabu arches an eyebrow at this, since while before he had heard an unusual proposition between him and Ennoshita, now Ennoshita is the one to propose a new one, at least without seeming to have a ring in between.

"You said it, I don’t represent a prosper country now. Why would you two ally with me?"

"Because I'm tired of our arguments, Shirabu." Ennoshita mentions, not because they argue since they don't really usually do and generally think in the same way, but because, "It would be better if the border wasn’t an eternal field of discussion, but one of communication. You also know that no one will bother you if you ally with me."

"I know, but I still don't understand why you guys want to ally with me."

"You are my friend, and I want to be your ally."

Shirabu lets out a sigh. The weakness of being a close friend of Ennoshita is that he knows that he is not lying, and if he mentions that he wants to ally with him so that the border is seen as a place of peace instead of conflict, and because there is a good relationship between them, it’s true. But the reality is that,

"It's crazy. People think we hate each other." He reminds him.

"Just like Yahaba and Kyoutani. If we show ourselves together, now, we will share news."

"Look, you're nice and I care for you, but we're not going to pretend we're getting married." He moves the camera toward Semi, who stops focusing on his own phone after realizing the focus is on him. "Hello?" Shirabu says as if Ennoshita is not fully aware that he knows that he was angry with the proposal of his friends because he already knows who he wants to be with, at least for the moment.

"Mhm, don't worry about me," Semi says.

"No, Semi-san, it's fine. We don't want to intrude on each other." Ennoshita says at the same time that Shirabu refocuses on him and relaxes when he feels one of Semi's hands rest on his lower waist because he knows that the situation is beginning to bother him. "I don't want to marry you either, Shirabu, but what they didn't take into account is that it doesn't always take a marriage for it to be an alliance. I think that considering the history of our countries, showing ourselves side by side, just chatting, is enough."

"I assume you're talking about the gala."

"You can't go with Semi-san because no one knows that you two are dating and I can't go with Kenji because he must show himself together with Yahaba, so I thought we could go together. Just think about it, okay? I’ll leave you alone."

Shirabu nods his head and Ennoshita waves at them before Shirabu opts to put his phone aside and then rest his arms on Semi's chest as well as his chin on the palms of his hands.

"You're good?" Semi asks, running some of his locks.

"It bothers me because he's always right." He says, and makes Semi laugh. "Sorry, it must be annoying for you."

"Hey, you are the future king of my country, my future is in your hands."

Shirabu laughs but puffs up his cheeks in reproach.

On one hand, he believes that Ennoshita is right because if they are shown together, they won’t be the only ones to attract attention considering that Futakuchi and Yahaba will notify that they have canceled their engagement because Yahaba and Kyoutani are supposedly dating, engaged, and because also, if he appears together with Ennoshita, no one will ask questions about where he is when he's with Semi. But on the other hand, showing up with Ennoshita implies showing that he maintains a good relationship with his country, and therefore, that he is not only willing to change the history between the two countries by accepting an alliance, but also with Dateko.

"Kiss me, I don't want to think right now."

"My pleasure."

He gets up but Semi is the one who takes his face in his hands to kiss him.

* * *

"You two look nice."

"More than you."

"Just. Just for this time, I'll let you say that and get away with it."

Ennoshita laughs upon hearing the exchange of words between Yahaba and Shirabu.

"I want you to know that I will blame you for anything that happens tonight. And if my parents decide to disinherit me, I'll move to Aoba Johsai and take your room. The two of us." Shirabu points to himself and then to Ennoshita. "We are going against our parents, do you know that?"

"I know!" Yahaba exclaims, frustrated, since he really knows. "The same is for me, you know? People don't want me near Kyoutani, so in any case I will go to Shiratorizawa when everything gets out of control in my country." A sigh leaves his lips. "I'm sorry. I know that I have been wrong, that I have asked you something stupid and that I have put you through a situation that I’m still avoiding. I should have thought better of it, sorry."

Yahaba grimaces.

Shirabu glances at Ennoshita and Ennoshita laughs because he knows that even though Shirabu rolls his eyes, he has already forgiven Yahaba.

"We all make decisions under stress that we later regret," Ennoshita says. "Tonight we'll see what happens, but the important thing is that we have each other."

"It’s okay, we just have to be subtle."

"Subtle?" Shirabu asks Yahaba. "Subtle, except for that thing over there." He looks up at the silver and aquamarine diadem that stays on top of the silver locks of Yahaba.

"I have no idea what are you talking about, this is subtle."

"A crown, we don't have crowns."

"That's not my problem." Yahaba clears his throat and brings his hands to his diadem to make sure it’s in its place. "And it's not a crown, it's a diadem. This is Dateko after all, if I wear a crown that means war, I have enough with canceling a marriage with them, I don’t need to give them any more excuses to seek to get rid of me. It's just a diadem, I’m extra, okay, you know that."

Shirabu rolls his eyes, but Ennoshita says, "It’s okay, we were talking about being subtle with our actions anyway."

"Well, I have to show up with Futakuchi, so," Yahaba says, looking at his aquamarine suit. "His parents have already talked to mine but we have to show that we get along despite the disagreement, so we'll talk about Kyoutani and me once the gala starts, later." He adds, the absence of the ring on his finger indicating the same.

"Please steal all the fame." Shirabu mentions.

"Of course." Yahaba winks at them before leaving to look for Futakuchi.

Shirabu lets out a sigh once he leaves while Ennoshita laughs before the two look at each other to exchange glances. The two are wearing black suits with a purple and orange handkerchief indicating the alliance they plan to establish and demonstrate.

"You do know that we can't go back on this, right? Our friendship will be known." Shirabu reminds him.

"I know, but we are the future. We have to let people see us as future kings, that everything can change, and if you and I don't, then who will?"

Shirabu forms a line with his lips because he knows that Ennoshita is right.

He believes that having to hide his friendship with Ennoshita is silly when in reality that same relationship can represent the basis on which an alliance between the two countries will grow. It’s better to know that he has the people on the other side of the border than to think that they will be the ones to attack and make sure that they are not a support, but the enemy.

"Okay," He says, and fixes his handkerchief into his upper pocket. "Let's go."

"Together."

They both move and approach the red carpet that they must pass before they can enter the place where the gala is already taking place, since all journalists want to obtain photos of the people whose faces represent the countries. Ennoshita looks to his side and finds Shirabu too serious, and he knows that he is thinking the same thing as him, that they really won’t be able to regret once they take the first step, so he chooses to hold his arm with his, and gets Shirabu look at him before they smile.

It's just a gesture, one that Shirabu actually does, but a friendship is mutual, and they finally show the same thing once all the cameras move at the same time and promptly the attention rests on them.

* * *

Shirabu hides his smile behind the glass that he brings to his lips when his gaze meets Semi's, who promptly looks away as he continues to sing and entertain the people present at the gala. Shirabu doesn’t waste his time on sliding his gaze towards Semi again because he knows that even though the necklace is not in plain sight, it’s underneath his clothing. They both agree that it’s a pretty necklace, but the least they need is people realizing that the necklace Shirabu has bought has ended up on his neck because they are already dealing with too much.

"Hey." Terushima appears in his field of vision, the golden details of his black suit matching the dyed blonde of his hair. "They are really, really good."

Shirabu smiles confidently upon hearing him.

"I know, right? That's why they called them to Dateko, to play here." Shirabu tells him, since even though he's the person dating Semi, no one but Ennoshita knows about it, so Semi and the people in his band have managed to be invited as musical guests of the gala by themselves.

"Dance with me," Terushima asks him.

"Why would I do that?" Shirabu asks in return, although he promptly leaves his glass on one of the trays and gives him his hand so that they both approach the center of the dance floor where in reality people are only moving from one side to the other without any noticeable rhythm or emotion.

"Everyone is super stressed tonight."

"Politics never rest." Shirabu assures him, but they both smile when they don't care what others do and dance with each other, having fun because politics certainly never rest, and Shirabu doesn't want to start thinking about all the pictures of him and Ennoshita that must already be circulating. Listening and dancing to Semi's music with one of his best friends is the only thing he can do. "Are you okay?" He asks, and laughs when Terushima takes him for a spin.

"This week everyone has been stressed, and sometimes I can't help but feel a little guilty because I'm the third prince so I don’t have to deal with everything you guys have to do." Terushima comments, getting Shirabu to watch him because everyone deals with their own fights. "You go through a lot and I feel that I have no worries, but I have decided that I will take advantage of that and be there for you to give you my support."

Shirabu offers him both hands and Terushima takes them, and they both spin at the same time.

"That is more than enough."

They both give each other the same kind of smile and again take another spin.

They know that entering a world where true and honest relationships are difficult to find because people tend to move according to interests and resources, they should be grateful for the friendship between them, as well as because they know that they are not the only allies without needing a piece of paper and signatures to ensure the same. They are not alone, and they know it.

Futakuchi leaves his arm over Yahaba's shoulders.

"Nervous about something?" He asks, since although Yahaba is looking at his phone, it seems as if he is seeing that one of his strands has moved out of place.

"Well, in a few minutes I'll tell the world that I'm engaged to Kyoutani, a person that half my country hates while the other half likes, but that same half hates me." Yahaba glances at him. "I am nervous."

Futakuchi forms a line with his lips, because while they had no problem taking their pictures and smiling for the cameras after Shirabu and Ennoshita did it, ensuring that they haven’t shown themselves together because of their commitment, is something they still have to do. The idea is for Yahaba and Kyoutani to simply show up with the rings, holding hands, and the next day he, Ennoshita, and Shirabu will secure their alliance so that no kind of problem is created by the press.

"Hey, I know we've never been married, but you know I'm here for you, right?"

Although still staring at his phone, Yahaba tilts his head towards him to stay close. "I know, and the same goes for you."

Futakuchi tightens the contact and laughs when he sees Shirabu and Terushima laughing together, although he soon rests his gaze on Yahaba's phone when he gently nudges the side of his body. "Look," Yahaba adds. "There are already pictures of us assuming we'll get married soon." He shows him the phone and Futakuchi certainly sees photos of them recently taken.

"We are always everywhere," He assures him. "By the way, where is your new husband?"

"Hiding?" Yahaba shrugs. "I don't know, he doesn't like this."

"The gala?"

"Everything, in general."

After not knowing if he's talking about that night or in general, Futakuchi says, "Well, the important thing is that the two of us are no longer engaged and we won't do anything we don't want to."

"I think I would have liked to be your husband," Yahaba tells him, and Futakuchi raises both eyebrows when Yahaba stops looking at his phone to look at him. "I mean, you're funny." He says, and Futakuchi laughs.

"Thanks for the compliment, you too."

"Now we are like ex-husbands."

"We went too fast."

"And with Ennoshita, how are you doing?"

Futakuchi can't help the smile that appears on his face, because perhaps everyone has realized that they liked each other before they did, or perhaps because he has always been obvious but Ennoshita has never noticed. "We kissed." He says, and Yahaba's mouth opens.

"Really?"

"Yeah," Futakuchi responds, and laughs. "How are you with Kyoutani?"

"We haven't kissed." Yahaba laughs without really laughing. "But you already knew that, don't worry about me. And by the way, I saw Ennoshita going into the kitchens."

Futakuchi takes one look at him and chooses to kiss him on the temple before leaving, since while others believe Yahaba's perfect face, he already knows him and knows that not everything is adding up, but he quickly pushes that thought out of his mind when he sees hair the same color as his and soon finds himself gently grasping one arm.

"Hey, hey, I need your help."

"Ugh." His sister looks him up and down and releases herself from his grip. "And I was already thinking I was having a good night." She says, but smirks when Futakuchi takes a look at her. "What do you want, my dear brother?" Yuna asks him.

"I need a favor."

"Two packs of sour gummies."

"Oh come on, I didn't even say what it is."

"Three packs of gummies."

Futakuchi gives up and his sister smiles triumphantly.

"I know our parents have already spoken, but I need you to convince them that Karasuno is a good alliance."

His sister crosses her arms, the dark green color of her dress being the same as the color of his suit, as well as the gold diadem with emerald gems that remains on her head representing her position in the family, while the crown on his head establishes his inheritance.

"I never understood why they wanted to promise you with Aoba Johsai, he's a second prince. Do you want an alliance with Karasuno or with the pretty boy there?" She asks, and Futakuchi slaps his forehead with his hand because apparently, despite being obvious, Ennoshita hadn’t been able to realize for himself his feelings towards him, although the same thing had happened to him in the same way with Ennoshita because apparently the two like each other.

"Both."

Yuna smiles triumphantly again.

"Okay, but only because I like him. And by the way, I saw him going to the kitchen."

Futakuchi sticks his tongue out at her so his sister does the same, but soon finds himself walking away from people to smile at the staff and finally heading into the kitchens, a chuckle escaping his lips when he sees Ennoshita reaching for the ice cream pots.

"I found you."

Ennoshita turns his head towards him and smiles when he sees him, although he promptly follows him with his eyes, and despite the intriguing sensation he feels when a hand is rested on his lower back, he smiles calmly when Futakuchi reaches out to take a pot of ice cream.

"You do know that you can ask me, right?" Ennoshita glances at him as he tries to reach for the pot but Futakuchi pulls his arm away and smiles. "My parents have literally organized this."

"Can you please give me the ice cream?"

"Here you go." Futakuchi hands him the pot and Ennoshita smiles cheerfully before taking a spoon, Futakuchi’s hand resting on his waist now not bothering him. "I like this." He tells him when Ennoshita opens the pot. "Seeing you often."

Ennoshita tastes the ice cream and shortens the distance between them even more.

"Well, I don't necessarily have to go back to Karasuno this week." He says, since although the plan is that after two days after the gala, everyone will return to their respective countries, sometimes not following instructions is a good option.

"What?"

"I could stay a few days. We have to make official an alliance, don't we? Someone has to make the agreements and so on."

Futakuchi smiles widely. "I would like you to stay."

"Me too."

"I'll buy you a lot of ice cream."

"It will be part of the alliance," Ennoshita tells him, but he puts the spoon on the ice cream he is holding between them to look at him. "Look, there's still nothing formalized with your parents. All this can end, are you sure you don't want the alliance with Yahaba?"

Futakuchi chooses to leave his hands on his cheeks.

"I know Aoba Johsai has better defense, but it's not Karasuno, and Aoba Johsai doesn't include you, it's not you, and I want you."

"You can’t let yourself be guided by your feelings."

"I don’t. We are the two best countries at the moment, and staying that way will bring us a better life, and much more if we ally with Shirabu. Three future kings, we will be invincible."

Ennoshita hums before eating ice cream again. "You're right."

"But you guys have left me out of the idea of your suits," He says, lowering his head as well as forming a pout with his lips.

"I'm sorry," Ennoshita tells him without really feeling it. "I wonder how I can reward you."

"Mhm, I don't know," Futakuchi comments although they both know how because their faces are getting closer.

Ennoshita looks at him smiling before allowing their lips to touch for a second. "Is this okay?" He asks, and he only needs Futakuchi to move his head just to catch his lips with his again, already without the nerves of the first time due to the possible non-correspondence of feelings, but still excited.

Futakuchi's licks his lips and Ennoshita licks the ice cream spoon, Futakuchi's eyes chasing that movement, having tasted the strawberry flavor for himself.

"I won’t regret our alliance." Futakuchi says, but instead of smiling, he gets Ennoshita to look at him confused when he stops holding his hands on his cheeks to bring them to his own head, and his confusion becomes seriousness when Futakuchi removes his crown to leave it on the black locks of his head. "Would you mind explaining to me how your brother has green hair and you don't?"

"Kenji, your crown—"

"—is yours." Futakuchi finishes for him, he assures him. "Now," He wraps Ennoshita’s waist with his arms. "The answer to my question?"

Ennoshita bites his lower lip, and Futakuchi holds a smile from ear to ear because he knows that just as taking off his crown can seem like nothing, a simple gesture, but also a great decision based on an action because to stop wearing his crown to give it to Ennoshita implies that he trusts him and that he really wants an alliance with him; he also asks him that question so that Ennoshita doesn't get carried away by the seriousness of that gesture.

"My hair is green too." Ennoshita comments, and Futakuchi raises both eyebrows. "But I dye it black because my parents think that, I don't know, journalists or people against our family can make fun of me if I show its true color. As silly as it may seem, one day I’ll have it green, but that day is not today."

"I'll dye my hair orange or purple if you want, both colors, why not, and if someone says something, I'll be the one to raise my middle finger in front of the cameras. I want you to be yourself."

"It’s fine, besides, I'm sure that Shirabu is capable of canceling the alliance with us in case we both show up with our hair like you are saying."

Futakuchi laughs. "You are not wrong."

"I like your hair as it is." Ennoshita takes advantage of the fact that Futakuchi has taken off his crown to give it to him, so that he can bring one of his hands to his head and run his fingers between his brown locks.

"Hey," Futakuchi starts, leaning into the caresses. "Yahaba and Kyoutani are about to announce that they are together, and I don't want to be here. Do you want us to go? I don't care if it's my parents' gala."

"Kenji, that's irresponsible."

"You didn't say no."

Ennoshita grins and Futakuchi thinks he has won in life.

"Exactly."

* * *

Yahaba looks at the ring around his finger, and holds a slight smile on his face. He hadn’t traveled to Dateko with the idea of informing at that gala that he is engaged to Kyoutani (fake engaged, Yahaba, he swear he can listen to Kyoutani), but the truth is that he can’t complain, since otherwise, he would find himself faking something else with Futakuchi when it’s clear that the two they only consider themselves best friends.

He doesn't want to ask himself questions about it, like how long he will have to pretend, how long this thing he has started with Kyoutani will last, and how people will take it. He just wants to think that maybe, if they can turn that fakeness into something true, maybe Kyoutani will see him as something more than a friend, the person with whom he has started to fake a relationship.

He shakes his head slightly because this is not the time to fill his mind with those kinds of thoughts, so he finally moves and opens the bathroom door, finding Kyoutani where he thought he would be. He is fixing the eyeliner around his eyes, and Yahaba opts to sit next to the sink while looking at him, and smiles upon noticing that Kyoutani also has his ring already.

"You're looking at me." Kyoutani says looking himself in the mirror.

"Can't I look at you?"

After hearing his amused tone of voice, Kyoutani takes a look at him before going back to decorating his eyeliner. Yahaba thinks he is fine, with a light-blue suit similar to his as he has opted for an aquamarine suit to match his diadem.

Yahaba thinks that these are the moments he treasures.

Worldly moments, where he is sitting on the sink in a bathroom while Kyoutani does his eyeliner. In a world full of madness and where they must always behave in a formal and serious way, human moments are those that remind them that they are human too, although they often look like dolls.

"Hey, do you want to take a picture with me?" Yahaba asks him.

"For what?"

Yahaba bites his lower lip.

"Instagram," He chooses to answer, since although he can agree to pretend a relationship with him, he doesn't dare to tell him that he only wants the photo for himself, to look at it just for the sake of it and without ulterior motives.

"Nah," Kyoutani replies, and Yahaba's shoulders drop. "It will be full of photos of us everywhere already."

"I know, but this one will be mine."

"What is the difference?"

Yahaba frowns, certainly confused. "It's mine."

Can't Kyoutani understand the reason for his photo?

"The goal is the same."

"Are you comparing me to all the reporters, journalists, out there? That only take pictures of us because yes, because it’s their job and they want to achieve whatever it takes to create new articles and spread news?"

"Well, you want to project a life too, don't you?"

"I want to show people who we are." He corrects him, since he uses social media not to demonstrate what he has and what people don’t have, but to precisely find details that allow him to get closer to people.

"Pretending? Pretending that this," Kyoutani points between them with the eyeliner, "Is real?"

Yahaba lowers his head because he understands that despite Kyoutani having been the one to suggest the idea of a relationship, he has definitely done it so that his family doesn’t have problems with his, not because he wants to spend more time with him or because he is interested in him.

But he also frowns, because his intentions are always misunderstood.

"I feel like you're insulting me right now."

"Why? Am I wrong? You post those pictures so that people can talk about you, when we were together the other day you said it yourself, you posted the picture for your parents to get angry and people to know that you were with me. You don’t post pictures of your meetings that you must have or all the problems we face. They will take lots of pictures of us and we will have to pretend too much already."

Yahaba tilts his head slightly. Perhaps the previous time he had posted that picture of the macaroons on purpose, to show that he is against his parents in the only way he can, showing them that he is not afraid to assure that he doesn’t think like them, that he doesn’t accept all the decisions they take. He is an obedient person, he is aware of it, but many times he is also labeled as the rebellious person by the press. He seeks to be honest through his social media, but once again, Kyoutani can't see beyond.

"Then I'm nothing more than a fake person to you."

Kyoutani turns his head towards him and arches an eyebrow. "No—"

"Of course I am, of course, just. Sure." Yahaba says, cutting him off because he's as angry as he is certainly sad and frustrated, but thinks he can only blame himself for hoping that strategies sometimes involve true feelings. "I always hear everyone criticize me, over and over again."

Being used to hearing the same words every day doesn’t imply that he’s deaf to them, because he rolls his eyes when his agent tells him that he shouldn’t post so many pictures, he pretends to be paying attention when his parents advise him that he shouldn’t seek to approach people because they will always be different.

"You know the shit I have to put myself through, the smile I have to fake every day with my parents, and you know it, and I don't think that's fake, but strong because I do it over and over again." He says as Kyoutani looks at him in silence.

He smiles, but he is not happy. He nods, but he doesn’t agree.

"But yes, I am fake, i am a fake person." Once again a smile that is not a smile takes over his face. It becomes a habit even if he feels his heart breaks because the only person he feels he can be completely genuine with thinks he is dishonest. "But you know what," He says, looking at the ring. "It was real to me." He looks at him and takes off the ring to place it next to him. If he can't even convince Kyoutani, he doesn't know what's the point of trying to convince the rest of the non-existent chemistry between them. "And the pain I feel now, that's real too."

He gets up, realizing that he doesn't really have to ask questions because he shouldn't pretend anymore or wonder how long something that has already finished will last.

"Yahab—"

"I just wanted a picture." Yahaba interrupts him. "Not for others or for my social media, only for me. Just because. Because I like you. I just wanted a picture with you, that's all."

He tells the truth, he's honest, but he doesn't stay.

He always has to deal with the consequences of his fakeness.

He doesn’t have the energy to deal with the consequences of his honesty.

* * *

Ennoshita lets out a sigh when he finishes reading the tenth article he finds on the internet, still not finding a single word about Kyoutani and Yahaba because he and Shirabu are the main focus. Despite the fingers stroking his hair, he frowns.

"I feel like something has happened." He says. "I can't find anything, a single article about Yahaba and Kyoutani, and we both know Yahaba's parents, plus their families don't get along. They should be everywhere, do you think something has happened?"

"Surely," Futakuchi agrees with him through a simple word makes Ennoshita worry because then they not knowing about the news has nothing to do with the fact that they have decided to leave the gala before, but because said news have never existed. "Yahaba hasn't sent any texts either, maybe we should say something."

The two find themselves with their phones in hand, lying together because Ennoshita has decided to stay at Futakuchi's residence after leaving the gala with him, both certainly worried because instead of getting up to hear the news of Yahaba and Kyoutani and the engagement between them, only the friendship of Shirabu and Ennoshita is the one attracting and gaining attention.

"He will talk when he's ready," Ennoshita says. "The problem is that now Shirabu and I are everywhere. Well, at least it seems to be good news I suppose." He adds, since while he hasn't read about his friends, it has led him to read about the future they represent.

"Shit!" Ennoshita complains as Futakuchi moves quickly to sit on the bed. "Sorry."

"What is it?"

"My mother is coming this way now, my sister just told me."

"What?" Ennoshita looks at him, panic starting to catch him. "I can't see a queen— your mom like this!" He points to himself, since he is wearing black sweatpants that belong to Futakuchi as well as a cream-colored sweater that is too big for him because it also belongs to Futakuchi.

"Well, you don't have much of a choice," Futakuchi fixes one of his locks and laughs. "Come on, come on, she’s coming."

Ennoshita complains but moves quickly anyway, though his eyes widen when once the two of them stand in front of the door, he sees the purple mark on Futakuchi's neck. "Shit."

Futakuchi laughs. "Look at you, saying bad words."

"You have a hickey!" Ennoshita yells in a whisper.

"Let her see it! Let her know that his son is appreciated." Futakuchi looks at him smiling but stops when he sees Ennoshita staring at him.

Ennoshita looks around and sees the handkerchief that he had worn with his suit the night before, and finishes tying it around Futakuchi’s neck at the same time as the door is knocked. They both know that the handkerchief has nothing to do with the pajamas that Futakuchi is wearing but they both hold the same kind of smile when once they open the door, Futakuchi's mother is the one to appear. Unlike them, well dressed and combed.

"Hello, precious mother!"

"Good morning," Ennoshita adds.

"Good morning," Futakuchi's mother greets them, and Ennoshita is glad that she doesn't take a look at the clothes they are wearing. "Kenji." He says resting his gaze on his son, "Yesterday we didn't see you at the gala later."

"I came with Chikara here. He wasn’t feeling very well."

Ennoshita continues to smile when Futakuchi's mother rests her gaze on him although at that very moment he wants to step on Futakuchi's foot since he had been the one to suggest withdrawing from the gala.

"Oh, are you feeling better now?"

"Yes, thank you for asking. Kenji is very helpful."

"That's good to hear." He clasps his hands in front of her stomach. "I hope I’m not bothering you, because I actually wanted to talk to you. Your sister." Her gaze rests on Futakuchi. "She told me that you were here." She looks back at Ennoshita.

"Of course. Did something happen?"

"As you may have found out, we have decided to cancel our son's engagement since apparently there was already another engagement ahead of us." Ennoshita nods at her words. "This is just a conversation, but my two children," Both Ennoshita and Futakuchi follow the latter’s mother's gaze to the end of the hall, where they evidently see Futakuchi's sister hiding. "They have spoken well to me of you, and I am a witness of the good decisions your parents make when governing a country. I wanted to know if you would be comfortable with the idea of establishing a stronger relationship with our country."

Ennoshita doesn't need to look to his side to know that Futakuchi is smiling broadly and that his sister probably had something to do with their mother still waiting for an answer at the time. Ennoshita can only smile.

"Yes, I would," He says. "But I have a condition."

"Go on."

"Unlike my parents, my relationship with Shiratorizawa has changed and I proved it yesterday. I think it would be fruitful if three countries with heirs as future kings proved to have good relations. If it's just me, my border is constantly threatened by Shiratorizawa and that would become a problem for Dateko as well, but if both countries establish good relationships with you, the support is greater and the problems decrease."

Ennoshita believes that showing up together with Shirabu the night before won't make sense unless they get a good profit out of it.

"Very good." Futakuchi's mother expresses, convinced with his words. "Soon I will contact your parents and speak with the Shirabus so that the three families can get together, hopefully. In the meantime, you are welcome to stay."

Ennoshita smiles. "Thank you."

"Very well, I won't interrupt you anymore."

Futakuchi's mother smiles at them but promptly takes a look at Futakuchi's neck and smiles at them again before heading down the hall. Ennoshita wrinkles his nose and lets his head touch Futakuchi's arm, defeated, but smiles when Futakuchi's sister approaches them.

"Hello Ennoshita," She says, giving him her best smile.

"Hello." Ennoshita greets her.

"Hi fool."

"Bye, dumbass."

Futakuchi rests his hands on Ennoshita's shoulders to turn him around and walk him into the room, but before he closes the door, they both hear his sister shout, "You're welcome!"

They both laugh but Ennoshita promptly hums and seeks refuge in Futakuchi, who without hesitation surrounds his shoulders with his arms. "That was so embarrassing! She definitely knows you have a hickey." He says, gently removing the handkerchief to then wrap his arms around his waist.

Futakuchi laughs.

"You're so hot when you go into prince mode." He says, since he had paid attention to the words he had exchanged with his mother.

"Oh, so I'm only hot when I go into prince mode."

"No." Futakuchi complains and Ennoshita smiles. "You are always hot."

"Really? Well, you are not bad yourself."

"Clearly, you proved it to me."

Futakuchi tilts his head to allow Ennoshita to see what his own lips had done hours ago, but when at that moment Futakuchi leans in to kiss him, Ennoshita leans back to glance at him, but promptly smiles when Futakuchi holds a pout with his lips and finally kisses him.

"I think it was incredible!" Futakuchi smiles. "It's like we're married!"

"We're not married."

"Just wait a few years." Futakuchi winks at him and Ennoshita laughs even though he rolls his eyes.

"We only have an alliance." He reminds him, resting his palms on his chest. "It can last for many years or be finished in a matter of seconds, just like a marriage."

Futakuchi lowers his gaze to his lips and then looks at him, and despite the words he heard, he asks, "Darling, where do you prefer? Near the bathroom or the door?"

Ennoshita bites his lower lip and lightly pushes him to make Futakuchi sit on the edge of his bed and he sits on his lap, his knees at the sides of his legs. "Close to you," He assures him. "But," He steps away a little when Futakuchi tries to kiss him, albeit allowing his hands to rest on his waist. "The ring around my finger, you have to earn it."

"Tell me how," Futakuchi asks. "You want money? A jet, a new car, maybe a new camera? A new medicine course, tell me and it will be yours."

Ennoshita wraps his arms around his neck.

"Do you think that's the way, offering me things that I can buy myself?"

"There must be something you want, something that Dateko has that Karasuno doesn't."

Ennoshita smiles, looking at him. "There is."

"What is it? Tell me and I'll give it to you."

Ennoshita runs one of his strands before wrapping his arms around his neck again and approaches him until their lips remain an inch apart.

"You."

"All of me is yours."

They both look at each other, and satisfied with his answer, Ennoshita kisses him.

* * *

Shirabu smiles when he sees the picture that Semi has sent him of the purple and orange handkerchief that he has forgotten in his hotel room, but just in case, before answering, he looks at his brothers, both of whom are asleep on his chest, to verify that they are certainly sleeping, and he answers. They had jumped on him as soon as he had returned to the residence as well as promptly fell asleep on him once they settled in the couch, because just as with their ten years they can throw him down anyway, sometimes they also use him as their personal pillow.

"Hey," Terushima mentions in a low voice so as not to wake up the twins, and Shirabu looks at him. "Have your parents told you anything about Ennoshita?" He asks from the couch next to his.

"They are not completely happy, but they trust me to know that I want the best for everyone, for them." He says looking at his brothers, and chooses to leave his phone in his pocket to put his arms around their shoulders, those settling more over him, since although many times they bring him many problems, they also bring him a lot of relief.

"So, tell me." Terushima smiles at the same time that he rests his chin on the palms of his hands. "Where did you go last night?"

"Mind your own business." Shirabu sticks his tongue out at him before laying his head on one of the twins’ head, realizing that his absence hadn’t gone unnoticed. "I will only say that it’s good that people think I'm dating Ennoshita only because of yesterday’s pictures."

Terushima raises both eyebrows and Shirabu holds up a small smile.

"I see."

"Did you have a good time?"

"Yeah," Terushima assures him. "And do you know anything about Yahaba?"

"You're worried too, right?"

"We were all supposed to be talking about him and Kyoutani by now."

Shirabu hums since certainly one of the ideas had been to show be friends with Ennoshita the night before so that the detail was certainly covered by the engagement of Kyoutani and Yahaba, but now that he thinks about it, he doesn’t even remember seeing Yahaba and Kyoutani together, but before wondering why, Terushima gets the answer for him.

"What's going on?" He asks when he sees him looking at his phone with a grimace.

Instead of answering him, Terushima stretches his arm so that he doesn't have to wake up the twins, and Shirabu takes his phone, promptly a grimace covering his face too because what he sees is Yahaba finally showing signs of life, but through a picture of his hand, where there is clearly no ring.

"Shit." Shirabu says. "This is not good."

* * *

Shirabu smiles when his gaze meets Ennoshita, knowing that Ennoshita understands the meaning behind his smile considering that the former finds his head resting against Futakuchi's arm again, the latter with his arm around his shoulders. Terushima makes them laugh by telling them about how he had managed to get one of the most important people at the gala that had already taken place to dance, but Shirabu turns his head to see Yahaba, sitting in the couch closest to the window, with his arms left on the backrest as well as his head on those.

If the image of his hand without the ring had already been sufficient proof that his news with Kyoutani hadn’t come out because it hadn’t been announced, the fact that at that moment he preferred to isolate himself rather than be the center of attention, assures him that surely for some reason everything has gone wrong with Kyoutani.

He sees his glass still half full of alcohol and chooses to take the glass they had left for Yahaba to then approach him, but once he sits in the window seat, he leaves the glasses aside and crosses one leg on top of the other to watch him.

Yahaba doesn't look at him. He stays with his head lowered, a sad expression covering his face. But he chooses to say, "It's bad if you've come to comfort me."

Despite his low tone of voice, Shirabu chuckles slightly.

"I just came to say that usually I'm the person who annoys you while you are the person who annoys me, so it's weird to see you upset or down because someone else has hurt you."

Shirabu knows that many times his personality clashes with Yahaba's because in reality they are quite similar. Stubborn, they defend their ideals to the end, and they are both just as temperamental. But for the same reason they are friends, because they defend each other and know that mistakes can be forgiven as well as made.

He chooses to settle in with him, with his arms on the back of the couch as well as his chin on his hands, and Yahaba casts him a glance before lowering his eyes back into his own arms. Shirabu doesn’t know what happened, no one knows since Yahaba didn’t need words to inform them that the plan had gone wrong, but whatever happened, he knows that Kyoutani has probably said or done things that Yahaba didn’t like.

"I was naive." Yahaba mentions him, and for the first time Shirabu decides to remain silent instead of assuring him that he agrees with him. "I thought that since he was the one who came up with the idea, he liked me at least a little bit. I don’t know what to do."

Shirabu believes that there must be some misunderstanding involved, since just as it’s easy for Yahaba to hold his head up and defend the people he loves as well as himself, many times his ideals are clouded and he can’t see the truth.

"I hide many times, but I also show myself. My parents don't know who I am or what I want, and I thought that Kyoutani understood me, that he could see beyond what I show, even if with him I'm always sincere, or at least I try to, I don’t know."

"We live in a world full of lies, every day we talk to people who lie because we too often lie." Shirabu thinks of himself, in the way that he doesn’t lie but hides, since although everyone in the room is friends with him, only Ennoshita knows about his relationship with Semi. "I think we will ever find a good balance between lying and hiding, as well as that it’s okay if you hide, and also when you don’t."

"Do you think I'm fake?"

"Are you kidding me? You?" Shirabu nudges him a little. "You're the only person who doesn't hesitate to yell at me when I know that everyone really wants to send me to hell." He says, and gets Yahaba to decorate his face with a small smile. "We all know that we are different people, and that we are with each other in a way that we are not with anyone else. You are not fake, you know how to deal with others. We love you for who you are, you don't have to change anything about yourself."

"You said you love me."

"It won't happen again."

They both giggle slightly, and Shirabu is glad to see Yahaba giggling at his words. But that's the truth. They don't see each other very often and should be constantly on the alert because they represent their own countries, but Shirabu believes that he wouldn’t have gotten that far if he hadn’t Yahaba and the others, and that he should be grateful for finding people to trust since it's difficult when people only approach you for interests.

"Hey, if Kyoutani doesn't like you, he's an idiot."

Yahaba chuckles when he hears him, and follows him with his eyes as he moves when Shirabu takes both glasses and offers him one. Yahaba accepts it and Shirabu looks at him expectantly when he lets out a sigh.

"A toast."

"To what?" Shirabu asks to be clear.

"Me, myself, and I."

Shirabu laughs and they both clink their glasses to then allow the alcohol slide down their throats. Yahaba looks at him smiling and expresses a muted thank you before Shirabu tells him to close his mouth. They both laugh again and are promptly accompanied.

"You can't make a toast without us!" Terushima says.

"Of course we can, and we already did." Shirabu sticks out his tongue.

"Let's do another one then." Futakuchi suggests.

"Enough of toasts, I need water." Ennoshita says, and everyone laughs.

* * *

"Our parents haven't bothered you?"

Before answering, Yahaba holds up the mirror that his older brother is already holding so that their younger brother can see himself, smiling as he sees himself in the mirror.

"No," He replies, since his parents certainly haven't asked questions about the lack of news as well as the lack of a ring on his finger. "Have you had anything to do with it?" He adds as he continues to brush the hair of his younger brother, who is sitting between his legs and between them, smiling entertainingly and closing his eyes when Yahaba passes the brush through his silver locks.

"You can be convincing, me too." Itsuki assures him.

They both share a smile. "Thank you," Yahaba mentions. "I didn't say it the other time, but thank you for backing up my nonsense." He says, referring to the breakfast they had shared and when his brothers had chosen to go along with him instead of being the opposite. "You too, thank you." Reo laughs entertained when Yahaba moves to kiss him on the cheek before continuing to comb his hair.

"Don't worry," Itsuki assures him. "Soon we will return home and assure our parents that we can forge our own alliances without them getting in the way."

The truth is that even though that will mean not seeing his friends, he wants to go back to Aoba Johsai. Since he has set foot on Dateko, he has done nothing more than find himself in the middle of problems as well as generate them, so he wants to come back to his country to spend more time with his brothers and continue making video calls with his friends, complying with their responsibilities and hoping that their parents don't do things behind their backs.

Someone knocks on the bedroom door.

"I'll go," Itsuki says, getting up and giving Reo the mirror.

"Do you like the way your hair is looking?" Yahaba asks him.

"More flulffly!"

Yahaba chuckles when he hears him. "Fluffy."

"Fluffy!"

Reo smiles as he looks himself in the mirror, but Yahaba promptly turns his head towards the door when Reo does it.

"Reo," Itsuki calls him. "Come on, let's go."

"Why?" Reo asks, disappointed.

His older brother opens the door and Yahaba swallows when he spots Kyoutani.

"Mhm... hello." He says, barely waving his hand, but Yahaba can't focus on him because he sees the way his younger brother chooses to leave the mirror on his bed and then approach him to kick him in the leg, making Kyoutani form a line with his lips.

"Meanie! Meanie, meanie, meanie!"

"Reo, don't do that." His older brother says, but Reo has already returned to Yahaba.

"I deserved that." Kyoutani says, stroking his leg.

"I want to stay with Shigeru," Reo says, stretching his arms for Yahaba to lift him up, and even though he does, he laughs when he sees him. "I will protect you Shigeru!"

"Thank you," He says, touching the tip of his nose with his. "But it's okay."

He wonders why Kyoutani is there, and why he agrees to talk to him.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, now go with our older brother."

Reo decides to listen to him once he helps him down and chooses to take his older brother's hand, not without first sticking out his tongue at Kyoutani in an obvious way, making Yahaba laugh, although once they both leave the room and close the door, and Kyoutani approaches him to sit next to him, Yahaba remains serious.

Yahaba takes a look at him but then focuses on combing his own hair, without needing a mirror because his muscles have gotten used to making those movements. He doesn’t understand why Kyoutani is in front of him, looking at him while his eyes rest on the light-blue blanket.

"I also deserved that." Kyoutani says.

Yahaba understands that this is his way of wanting to have a conversation with him, but he is confused. At the gala it had become clear to him that the two are different, that even Kyoutani may not even know who he is, so he chooses to ask, "What are you doing here?"

"Can we talk?

Despite not knowing why, Yahaba responds, "We can."

Kyoutani lets out a sigh, but even if he asks that question because he wants to talk, he chooses to remain silent as he watches the way Yahaba brushes the silver color of his locks, this time holding his gaze, until Kyoutani extends his hand, and Yahaba looks at him and then at his hand, until he gives him his brush and chooses to turn around at the same time that Kyoutani sits on his kneels behind him.

"I looked for you, later at the party." Yahaba hears Kyoutani mention. "But I didn’t find you."

"I left, I came here."

With Ennoshita and Futakuchi nowhere to be found, and with Shirabu and Terushima entertained and dancing, Yahaba had thought that the best option had been to leave the gala so as not to ruin the night.

"I know, I didn't find you so I left too."

"Why?"

"I went for you, I didn't see the point. Staying if you weren't there was pointless."

Yahaba rolls his eyes upon hearing him. He believes that he and Kyoutani are completely different, because while he likes parties and being with people, Kyoutani leaves them as soon as he has the chance, and while before he had believed that those differences could unite them, now he believes that they separate them. He feels a bit embarrassed, considering that the last time he admitted he likes him.

"Did your parents bother you or something?" Kyoutani adds when Yahaba doesn't say anything.

"No."

Yahaba hears a sigh and stops feeling the brush on his head.

"Can we talk? Say more than short sentences? I've come here and you know I'm not welcome. You pissed me off yesterday." Kyoutani tells him and Yahaba crosses his arms. "It already bothers me to have to lead this life where everyone finds out about everything, and yesterday you came and said you wanted a picture for everyone, and that bothered me, it bothers me." He keeps listening, the annoyance showing in his voice. "But do you know what has bothered me the most? You said you liked me and you left. You can’t do that."

"Well, I did." Yahaba reminds him.

"Well, it bothered me." Kyoutani insists and Yahaba rolls his eyes. "Because when you left you didn't let me tell you that I like you too."

Yahaba looks over his shoulder upon hearing him, frowning and waiting for Kyoutani to say that he has become confused with his own words, but when he doesn't add anything else and feels his gaze on him, he finishes turning to look at him.

"Don’t mess with me."

"I’m not doing it."

They both stare at each other, and Yahaba wonders, is there hope?

"If you had told me that the picture was only for you from the beginning, I would have said yes." Kyoutani continues. "And you didn't let me speak, you just left. I don't think you're fake, but I don't understand why you always want to post pictures everywhere, until I thought about your words and I understood that in your own way you seek to get closer to people. I have to learn to listen to you just as you have to learn to listen to me."

Yahaba stares at him. "Why did you come up with the idea?" He asks him, "Of us, dating."

"Because I meant it when I said that I don't want you to be left in the hands of Dateko, or whoever it is, and I still want to give you that possibility." Yahaba follows his movements with his gaze when Kyoutani takes out the ring he had left from his pocket, but this time hanging on a thin chain. "If you still accept me. But not for someone else. But for us. I think we both rushed the situation, don't you think?"

Yahaba chuckles because he thinks he's right, and straightens up to show that he agrees with him, and they both stare at each other as the distance closes between them when Kyoutani approaches them to leave the necklace around his neck. Kyoutani brings his hand under his own shirt to show him that he is also wearing his necklace with the ring, and Yahaba looks at it to brush it with his fingers.

"Sorry if I said something you didn't want to hear." Kyoutani adds.

"I just don't want to be a strategy for you. Your sister, your parents. My brothers, my parents. Aoba Johsai. I don't want you to take me as something on the map."

Sooner or later everything ends up turning into a tactic. Even his friendship with Ennoshita, Futakuchi, Shirabu and Terushima if he has to be honest, since the good relationships between them and trust is what has allowed them to generate their own strategies to face the decisions of their parents. With the help of lies, gestures, and words. They seek to be different from their parents but somehow end up behaving the same way. Shirabu had said it.

"You are not. You are not a strategy, Yahaba. If you were, I know I would lose because you have no idea what you do to me."

"I think I do." Yahaba assures him with a small smile.

"Do you remember when you told me that you were going to be a Kyoutani? Before choosing the rings." Kyoutani asks him, and Yahaba nods. "Everything went too fast, you know that, I know that. How about we start with our names?"

Yahaba brings his fingers to his own ring, now resting on his chest. A smile takes over his face and nods again as he extends his hand.

"I'm Shigeru, just Shigeru."

Kyoutani takes his hand and this time it's not to agree on a plan, but to respect each other, going at their own pace.

"My pleasure, Shigeru. I'm Kentarou, just Kentarou." Kyoutani decorates his face with a matching smile before bringing his hand to his lips to place a kiss on the back of it.

A pink tint takes hold of Yahaba's cheeks. "The pleasure is all mine, Kentarou." Yahaba says, "But I will forgive you and you will forgive me only if you kiss me."

Kyoutani laughs and Yahaba smiles. Kyoutani promptly stops holding his hand to rest both hands on his cheeks, and Yahaba closes his eyes before feeling Kyoutani close the distance between them to join his lips to his, and Yahaba can only think, that he has become so used to telling and listening to lies, that sometimes he can't even tell the truth, but at that moment he knows that Kyoutani is real as well as his feelings for him.

"Do you think your brother will kick me again?"

"Oh, he'll definitely kick you if he finds out you kissed me."

"Worth it."

Yahaba laughs and Kyoutani caresses his chin.

"Hey, do you still want that picture? Because I have an idea."

Yahaba looks at him certainly confused, but still intrigued.

* * *

Yahaba looks at the picture that Kyoutani has posted on his instagram profile, the same photo that he has seen everywhere because they showing up together for a photo, side by side with matching smiles on their faces and the obvious rings hanging from the thin chains around their necks hadn't been something others had expected.

_**e.chikara** : i'm happy for you two_

_**futakuchi_02** : nice smile ex-husband, looking good_

_**shirabu_kenjirou** : @futakuchi_02 That’s what happens when he gets a divorce from you, he smiles_

_**futakuchi_02** : >:c @e.chikara_

_**e.chikara** : Then I won't smile for a long time because I don’t plan to leave him ;)_

_**futakuchi_02** : c:<_

_**shirabu_kenjirou** : A world without Ennoshita’s smile, Futakuchi what have you done_

_**futakuchi_02** : only i can see his smile_

_**e.chikara** : Stop with the notifications or I won’t smile for real_

_**YUUJI_T** : NICEEEEEEEEEEEEE_

Yahaba laughs when he sees the comments of his friends again, and turns his head when he feels an arm over his shoulders.

"Nice picture," Terushima smiles. "Nice rings."

"Thank you," Yahaba laughs and locks his phone, not needing to show his wallpaper because that photo only belongs to him and Kyoutani, one where Kyoutani is kissing his cheek just before his younger brother entered to certainly kick him again, although then to hug him, a blurry picture being the result. "Hey, I was thinking, I wanted to talk to you."

"Tell me."

"We know that Ennoshita, Futakuchi, and Shirabu have forged their own alliance. Kyoutani and I have now forged our own, and we wanted to know if you would be interested in allying with us." He says. "Our political disagreements will come to an end and you always remain stable."

Terushima, grinning from ear to ear, offers his hand.

"Business partners."

Yahaba laughs and shakes his hand, but Shirabu promptly interrupts them.

"I want to tell you that both of you look really ugly in your picture."

Yahaba rolls his eyes and smiles. "Liar."

"Hug Shirabu for lying!" Terushima exclaims.

Shirabu complains before and also when Terushima and Yahaba hug him at the same time, although he doesn’t seek to get rid of the same, and for the same reason, Ennoshita and Futakuchi laugh once they return with a bottle of champagne and five glasses to leave them on a round table. The two look at each other, thinking that it’s good that the five of them meet again one last time. Soon the other three approach and Terushima is the one who opens the champagne and then pours the glasses.

Yahaba lets out a sigh. "I'll miss all of us being together, I must admit." He says, because while his start at Dateko hadn't been good, he thinks he'll miss the possibility of just having to take a car to visit them.

"You will miss us. Ennoshita and I will stay because we must sign deals with Dateko." Shirabu tells him, since certainly his family had already found out about the triple alliance and Shirabu had decided to stay, as well as suggested to Semi to do the same.

"What? The two of us can't go then!" Terushima looks at Yahaba.

"Well, Kyoutani is going back to Aoba Johsai, and considering that the picture was taken in a good way, I could stay a few more days."

"Me too!"

"Ugh, more days like this then." Shirabu complains, and Yahaba pushes him away with his hip.

"Oh dear." Ennoshita says.

"Oh come on!" Futakuchi leaves his arms over Yahaba and Ennoshita’s shoulders. "My ex-husband and soon to be husband, we have to celebrate that everyone is staying."

Yahaba chuckles while Ennoshita shakes his head, defeated.

"Let’s celebrate!" Terushima agrees.

Each takes a glass and the five hold them in the center between them.

Futakuchi smiles enthusiastically, now his free arm around Ennoshita's waist.

"To the five of us being here." He says.

He had started hesitantly, certainly confused because his parents had sought to make him part of an alliance he didn’t want while now he is part of one that he himself has created, although he already has plans to create an even larger one that includes more people. Even though the gala had surely been designed with the idea of assuming his marriage to Yahaba, it had finally given him the opportunity to spend time with his friends and confess his feelings.

"To our future." Ennoshita expresses.

Over the past days and nights they have shown that while they respect their parents' decisions, they plan to forge their own paths, chatting and being honest, allying with each other so that a better future is the possibility for all. He holds up his glass for the future days, as he knows who he wants to have by his side after having encouraged himself to express how he feels.

"To our friendship." Terushima holds up a broad smile.

He believes that they are the proof that despite being surrounded by people who only seek to associate for interests and resources, they seek to do so not only because they are the representatives of their countries, but because they trust each other and are friends. They know that they count on each other for the moments of happiness and for the moments of anger and sadness. They are honest and sincere.

"To our freedom." Yahaba brings his free hand to the ring that he plans to carry with him until one day it will find itself around his finger again because he has chosen it and not because he has something to prove.

They are not completely free, everyone has responsibilities and tasks to perform, but even in that way, they manage to forge their own freedom in their own way. They feel free when they are all together, and no one and nothing can take away that ability to contain their own freedom. If they are imprisoned, they will find a way to free themselves.

"To our secrets." Shirabu pronounces.

They know each other, each one of them forms a small world full of secrets and mysteries, of unspoken words and guarded emotions, of kept moments and unrealized gestures. They are a set of emotions and thoughts, and although they are not forced to tell each other everything, many times they decide to do so because they have learned to trust each other.

Their glasses clink and they bring them to their mouths.

"Because I'm dating the singer who sang at the gala." He adds.

Yahaba spits out the champagne that had wet his lips, Terushima’s jaw drops, Futakuchi raises both eyebrows, and Ennoshita laughs.

"I knew it!" Terushima exclaims.

"You didn't know, I did." Ennoshita keeps laughing.

"What the fuck!" Yahaba yells.

"Wow! That's... wow!" Futakuchi chuckles.

The five of them look at each other and quickly start laughing.

Between already established routines and determined agendas, they look for a way to be together, since they have called their groupchat a royal party not because they always have the possibility to go out and dance to drink, but because being all together is fun, and what they need. With responsibilities on their shoulders and many times crowns on their heads, they make it possible to consider themselves friends, and demonstrate that friendship and trust are the concepts that hold them together.

**Author's Note:**

> "Creo que exageras." (I think you exaggerate.)
> 
> "Y yo creo que estoy haciendo lo correcto." (And I think I'm doing the right thing.)
> 
> "Yahaba non aveva forse detto che si sarebbe occupato della situazione?" (Yahaba said that he would take care of the situation, didn't he?)
> 
> "E tu credi che il secondo in linea di successione sarà in grado di fare qualcosa?" (And you think that as a second prince he will be able to do something?)
> 
> "Tu feras comme si tu n'avais jamais rien entendu, mais il peut être assez convaincant." (You'll pretend you never heard anything, but he can be quite convincing.)
> 
> "Je sais." (I know.)
> 
> "Yes. Merci." (Yes. Thank you.)
> 
> Thank you for reading!


End file.
